by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Mar 14, 2011 | entomology
A juvenile root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) penetrates a tomato root on Jan. 24, 2013. Once inside, the juvenile, which also attacks cotton roots, causes a gall to form and robs the plant of nutrients Photo by William Wergin and Richard Sayre. Colorized by...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Feb 23, 2011 | entomology
Ladybug larva One of the interesting things about practicing integrated pest management (IPM) is that you get to learn about the relationships between the insects that you consider pests and the insects that eat them. The lady beetle, or ladybug, is one of the good...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Feb 17, 2011 | entomology
Scale insects photo by https://www.flickr.com/photos/treegrow/ When I was a teenager, my parents bought a peach orchard. I heard my Dad talk about spraying the trees with dormant oil and thought that was really weird. Who oils trees that are still alive? Scale...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Sep 15, 2010 | entomology, native pollinators
Bumblebees are one of nature’s reminders that we humans do not know as much as we think we do. According to our laws of aerodynamics, bumblebees should not be able to fly. Obviously, we have overlooked something, as fly they do. Newer research shows...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Aug 12, 2010 | entomology
Organic gardening is about working with nature to grow your plants, harvest the fruits of your labors, and share the planet with the plants and animals around you. Sometimes, though, the animals, specifically the insects, get greedy and you need something to make...
by Stephanie Suesan Smith | Jul 3, 2010 | entomology
I am looking out my study window and see a weed with grasshoppers stacked on it loafing. When I walk outside, it is like the parting of the Red Sea as they get out of my way. This is a bad year for them. We had a lot of moisture early, then it was very dry. ...
