If there is one certainty for all humans is that we are drawn to natural elements. Two of the best examples are how we can become transfixed when looking at fire or water. Scientists have studied this effect and shown that our brains reduce stress chemicals when we are staring at a fire, water, or...

As the days get shorter and the temperatures get cooler, many species of insects will search for places to spend the winter. Depending on the insect, they may seek out a variety of locations, such as in soil, under leaf litter, under tree bark, or even in our homes. One that we commonly...

Despite the bad name they get, yellowjackets (Vespula spp.) are beneficial insects. The larvae are meat eaters, consuming caterpillars and other insects (and occasionally carrion) that adults have captured and brought back to the nest. Adults, on the other hand, primarily feed on flower...

Finding interesting insects is fun! At least for me. I enjoy observing the intricacies of most insects. However, there are a few creepy crawlies I do not want to see, especially in my house. What insect has been on my “Most Un-Wanted” list? Termites. When we bought our house a few years ago we...

Magnolias are popular trees and shrubs in many landscapes. Their large, showy flowers can range from white to pink to yellow and provide a burst of color in the spring. While they are relatively pest-free, one of the biggest pests is the magnolia scale (Neolecanium cornuparvum), which...

It seems like every social media exchange where the topic of ticks or opossums comes up, I see a meme or photo glorifying the opossum and saying they will keep ticks out of your yard. This statement is based on a 2009 study that showed opossum grooming led to them devouring ticks from their bodies...

Roses are grown in many gardens for their large, showy, often fragrant flowers. If you grow roses, you may have noticed something eating the leaves of your plants, causing them to become unsightly. While Japanese beetles often get much of the blame during the summer months, they aren’t the only...

Cicada-mania has been building to almost mythical levels in 2024. Nearly every story on my news feed references this historic event about to occur in Illinois. Despite the media frenzy, there are still lots of questions about the upcoming cicada emergence. So, I might as well hop on this cicada...

Winter can be harsh, especially with the arrival of snow and sub-zero temperatures. While we often retreat indoors or add a few more layers to avoid cold temperatures, many other critters, like insects, must tough it out outdoors. While they may seem delicate, insects have developed a variety of...

With the arrival of fall, many of us will be heading outdoors for various activities, from visiting the local pumpkin patch or apple orchard, attending football games, or enjoying fall colors. People aren’t the only thing on the move, though. As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter,...

Lady beetles are widely considered a gardener’s friend. Sure, multi-colored Asian lady beetles can be a nuisance when they make their way into our homes during the fall (not to mention displacing native lady beetles). But they are all predatory, beneficial insects that feed on various pest insects...

Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) have been growing in gardens for centuries and remind many of us of our parents’ or grandparents’ gardens. Despite being ‘old-fashioned,’ hollyhocks have had a bit of a resurgence in recent years. Their tall, stately flowers are an impressive sight in the garden....

Bees are a welcome site in our gardens. Without the help of bees (and other pollinators) pollinating many of our plants, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy the myriad of flowers, fruits, and vegetables we have in our landscapes. Despite all their benefits, one bee species may not always be a welcome...

With the arrival of winter-like weather, many of us will be firing up the fireplace. When bringing wood inside for the fire, we can sometimes bring some unexpected hitchhikers. Many insects and other critters will use firewood (or wood in general) as a food source or a place to overwinter....

While traveling through the Midwest on leaf peeping adventures, modern day explorers may find a rather nondescript tree with unique, distinct fruit. A medium-sized tree adorned with large, round, chartreuse colored fruit can be easily identified as Maclura pomifera, or Osage orange....

As we transition from summer to fall and the temperatures start cooling off, many of us will be spending more time outdoors. While enjoying our time outdoors, we often encounter various insets we may not have seen or noticed earlier in the growing season. One such insect is the unusual, and to some...

Spider mites are a common pest on many types of plants. The most commonly encountered species is the twospotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae). While we often think of them ...

There are a variety of insects that will feed on squash. One of the more troublesome, and potentially devastating, is the squash vine borer. If you've grown squash and had a runner or two start wilting, there's a good chance you've had an encounter with squash vine borer. Squash vine borers (...

Winter may be an odd time to write about an insect that we only see during the warmer months of the year. Yet, I can’t help but marvel at the architecture of the baldfaced hornet’s nest, which has been revealed in the canopy of trees after leaf drop. This winter I have seen several baldfaced hornet...

We often don’t think much about insect pests outside of the occasional pantry pest or accidental invader during the winter months. Despite it being the middle of winter, that doesn’t...

As the crisp cool air of fall approaches, you might enjoy warming up with a sweatshirt or cuddling up with an additional blanket, and you are not alone! Many insects and other pests are making plans to move somewhere warm to survive the winter, and often that place is your home. The multicolored...

Fall armyworms are here, and can you say destructive? Some entomologists have even said it is the worst they have seen in 30 years! Damage done by fall armyworms this year has been seen in lawns, hayfields, pastures, soybeans, corn, and gardens. With a large appetite and their habit of “marching”...

Milkweeds have become a popular garden plant the last several years. They are most commonly planted to help support monarch butterflies because milkweeds are the sole food source for monarch caterpillars. Milkweeds contain toxic compounds (cardiac glycosides) to deter animals (insects and...

There’s nothing more devastating than walking out to your garden to discover your squash plants are wilted or dead. An insect known as the squash vine borer is one that will cause damage to your cucurbit plants by tunneling into the stems.  Once you have had an encounter with squash vine borer...

After some up and down temperatures earlier this year, it seems summer has settled in for good. While a lot of the work we do in the garden happens in the spring, that doesn’t mean we can coast through the summer. Here are some things we can be doing in our landscapes to help keep them going...

When it comes to invasive insects, much of our attention is directed towards those that cause a great deal of damage, such as Japanese beetles and emerald ash borer. However, there are some other invasive insects present in Illinois that pose a threat to our plants and even us that you should be...

The Asian longhorned beetle is a non-native pest that threatens a number of hardwood trees in North America. The larva damage living trees as they tunnel through. History of Asian Longhorned Beetle The Asian longhorned beetle was first identified in New York City...

They’re baaaack. If you’ve spent much time outdoors recently, there’s a chance you’ve had an encounter with buffalo gnats. What do they look like, and what do they do? Buffalo gnats (Simuliidae), also known as black flies, are small, 1/16- to 1/8-inch-long, ...

Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) or EAB has cut a wide swath of destruction across a large portion of the United States, including Illinois. EAB has been responsible for the death of tens, if not hundreds, of...

Butterflies are among the most popular, if not the most popular, insects out there. In fact, many cultures around the world use a butterfly as a symbol of the human soul. Many people consider a butterfly landing on you to be...

Wasps have an undeserved bad reputation. While some species can be a tad on the aggressive side, they are, as a whole, rather beneficial. Admittedly they can be intimidating insects, particularly large ones. In 2020, Extension received more reports about large wasps than usual. Perhaps it’s...

Several different types of caterpillars will feed on tomatoes. The most well-known, and probably most dreaded, are the tomato (Manduca quinquemaculata) and tobacco (Manduca sexta) hornworms. These large (up to 4 inches long) green caterpillars have a prominent “horn” on their rear...