Spiders can be beneficial in many situations since they eat a host of other insects. Unfortunately, some are also very venomous to humans, and they are also unwelcome indoors and around our landscapes where we might run into their webs.…
Fall webworms are caterpillars that form colonies inside spiderweb-like sacks. These sacks can be feet across and are generally found on the ends of branches. The caterpillars appear on trees in the fall and defoliate the branches inside of their…
Fall Armyworm is the caterpillar form of a moth. They don't overwinter in Kansas but migrate from Mexico and the Southern States. The females lay eggs in large clusters, and the caterpillars hatch and feed together, migrating in search of…
Aphids are small, soft insects with sucking mouthparts. They come in a variety of colors and can attack a wide variety of plants as well. They are generally found under leaves and on tender new stems, often in colonies. The…
Spider mites are very small so they can't be seen with the naked eye but they can cause a lot of damage. The first sign of their presence is pale, dirty looking patches of foliage. The simplest way to confirm…
Deciding to overseed your existing lawn or scrap the entire thing and start from scratch can be a difficult decision. Usually, if less than 50% of the lawn is grass, then you want to start from scratch. Late summer and…
Euonymus scale is one of the most damaging scales in our area. It can cause defoliation and even death of many varieties of Euonymus. These scales can also affect a groundcover called Pachysandra. Euonymus scales are a small (1/8th inch)…
Poison ivy is a noxious weed that can quickly spread in shady and unmaintained areas of the landscape. Poison ivy can grow as a groundcover, as a vine up the trunks of trees, and even as a bush in some…
Johnson Grass is a grassy weed that requires particular attention because it is a spreading perennial that can ruin lawns and landscapes if not dealt with. While this grass is generally not a pest in well-managed areas, in lawns that…
In bird, butterfly, and organic vegetable gardens, chemicals are often not an option if a pest problem arises. One solution is to attract or buy beneficial or predatory insects. These insects can naturally reduce pest populations. The most common example…