If you want to know the truth, there are more bugs than you realize out there in your yard or garden. The good news is that most of these bugs don’t harm or feed on your lawn, trees or garden crops. In fact, many of them are beneficial and some even prey on pests that would like to damage your landscape plants. In broad terms, beneficial insects and other arthropods we might find in our yard can be categorized as…
Cytospora canker of spruce A common malady of blue spruce trees in southeast Michigan is a tree disease called Cytospora canker. Trees 20 years of age or older tend to be affected the most. Needles on lower branches will often become yellow, then brown. Often, needles will fall off the tree while still green. After several weeks, infected lower branches will appear defoliated and dead. Usually a bluish-white resin will be observed on branches near the trunk. The presence of…
There are two general categories of Lice: sucking and chewing. Both are parasites. Chewing Lice do not occur on humans. Way back when, lice were responsible for millions of deaths in Europe and Asia. They were, and still, are carriers of Typhus, Trench Fever, and Relapsing Fever; serious diseases that are barely a part of the vocabulary of any culture today. Large populations of Lice built up in densely crowded populations or situations where regular personal hygiene was not possible….
The onset of potentially record-breaking temperatures means many homeowners will be retreating to the comfort of air conditioned environments. It also means more people will delay going outside until the evening hours to enjoy a breath of fresh air and cooler temperatures. This is when it’s going to be important to protect yourself from mosquitoes. Anytime from dusk to dawn is when mosquitoes will be on the prowl and, unfortunately, some of these mosquitoes can carry arbovirus diseases that can…
During the course of the year many different insects will wander into and out of the kitchen, dining or food storage areas of your home. There are several that adapt readily to these environs and will set up housekeeping (if you let them). Three of the most common species in Michigan are the: Indian meal moth Confused flour beetle Sawtoothed grain beetle Damage We refer to the whole group collectively as pantry pests. These insects have an appetite for stored…
Three common ground covers used in Michigan are pachysandra, vinca (aka myrtle or periwinkle), and English ivy. Although these ground cover plants are mostly problem-free, on occasion they can be subject to disease problems. In most instances of diseases on ground covers a fungicide program in combination with good cultural practices can eliminate the problem. Pachysandra. Volutella leaf and stem blight is the most common disease on pachysandra. The disease is usually promoted by excessive moisture for long periods of…
Five common ticks in Michigan include: Dermacentor variabilis (American Dog Tick) Ixodes scapularis (Black Legged Tick) Amblyomma americanum (Lone Star Tick) Ixodes cookei (Woodchuck Tick) Dermacentor albipictus (Winter Tick) The American Dog Tick is extremely common in southeast Michigan and, thankfully, does not carry Lyme disease. It is known, however, to carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) and Tularemia, but reported cases of these two diseases in Michigan are rare. According to the CDC the most common type of Tularemia…
ISA Michigan, the local chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture, and the Michigan Oak Wilt Coalition have designated May as Oak Wilt Awareness Month. Oak wilt is a vascular tree disease that can infect both forest oaks and oak trees in our landscapes. Over the last few years new “pockets” of oak wilt have been identified on landscapes throughout southeast Michigan, such as, Holly, Clarkston and Highland. Oak wilt is probably present in many other areas of southeast Michigan,…
Maple Petiole Borer An unusual, but benign, insect we often cross paths with in the spring in Michigan is the maple petiole borer. The damage caused by maple petiole borers can cause anxiety with homeowners because soon after the maple leaves fully emerge they start falling from the tree. A close examination of the fallen maple leaves will often reveal a darkened area on the petiole of the leaf. The petiole is the stem that connects the leaf to the…
After our prolonged winter weather – extending well into mid-April – everyone seems pretty happy that spring is finally here and summer is just around the corner. The only negative I can think of that comes with the warmer weather is mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are not only annoying, but can also cause painful, itchy bites. Besides being a nuisance, mosquitoes can also transmit serious disease problems to us and our pets. In 2017 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported West…