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Where did all these insects come from?

September 23, 2021

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...

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Fall armyworm numbers highest in 30 years in Illinois

September 2, 2021

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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”...

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More than monarchs - What are those bugs on my milkweed?

July 30, 2021

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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...

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What could be killing my squash plants?

July 22, 2021

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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...

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Garden tasks to help get your landscape through the summer

June 16, 2021

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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...

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Some lesser-known invasive insects. spotted wing drosophila

Some lesser known invasive insects to protect yourself and your plants from

May 28, 2021

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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...

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black beetle on cut surface of wood with holes in it

Invasive Asian longhorned beetle threatens forests

May 25, 2021

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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...

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Buffalo gnats and how to avoid being bitten

May 6, 2021

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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, ...

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The impact of emerald ash borer

May 4, 2021

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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...

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Gray hairstreak butterfly (Strymon melinus) feeding on a Coreopsis flower. Flower has bright yellow petals with a dark red center

How to create butterfly habitat in your garden

March 4, 2021

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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...

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