Autumn has arrived in Kentucky and, as leaves change color and fall from trees, it is time to focus on landscape sanitation. Good sanitation practices can help reduce disease-causing pathogens. These organisms can survive for months or years on dead…
2016 Insect Trap Counts
Trap counts for major insect pests are provided by the Kentucky IPM Program. Traps are located at the UK Research and Education Center in western Kentucky and the UK Spindletop Farm in Lexington. Below are trap counts for the current…
Posted in Insect Trap Counts
How NOT to Submit Plant Samples for Diagnosis
When the most beloved landscape or garden plant begins to show symptoms of a problem, or commercial crops start to decline, panic may set in. The two things on everyone’s mind: what is the cause of the problem and what…
Posted in Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab
Sawflies – Late Season Pine Defoliators
Sawflies are members of the insect order that includes ants, bees, and wasps. The larval stage has a caterpillar-like body that may be brightly marked with stripes or spots. Some species change significantly in appearance as they grow, making identification…
Posted in Landscape Trees & Shrubs
Fruit Flies
Lots of “gnats” are active at this time of year—some of them are fruit flies, others are not—and some are not gnats, either. Find out what you have; approaches for dealing with them vary, as do chances for success, and…
Posted in Household Pests
Solving Some Mystery Bites
“Mystery bites” plague a significant number of people. Unfortunately, there can be a range of causes, most of which do not involve insects. The frustration of invisible itches can cause significant stress and anxiety. Even when they are insect-related, it…
Posted in Human Pests
Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab Highlights
The following plant disease highlights from the University of Kentucky Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratories represent recent sample submissions from field crops, fruit, vegetables, and ornamentals. Diseases and other problems diagnosed on agronomic crops during the past two weeks have included…
Posted in Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab
