Deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis, also known as black-legged ticks) have become a major pest in New Jersey, largely due to rising numbers of white-tailed deer in the area. However, while many ticks are carried by [...]
What Is Horticultural Oil? Horticultural oil is a “pesticide” in that it provides an effective way to control insect pests. However, unlike most pesticides, it’s ecologically friendly and non-toxic for you and your pets. Most [...]
By Brandon M Gallagher Watson On July 5, 2013, a woman walk-ing her dog in a Minnesota park was tragically killed when a large branch from a linden tree fell on her. The branch failure [...]
Health officials are wondering if a tick-borne virus that killed a Warren County woman two years ago is on the rise in New Jersey. The Powassan virus has "no business being here in New Jersey," [...]
The last couple of weeks in the Plant Diagnostic Laboratory brought a flurry of phone calls regarding bacterial leaf scorch. Folks are concerned about the disease and several samples have been submitted from locations in New [...]
Among the boxwood blight scare come samples of pachysandra with small yellow leaf spots. And rightly so–landscape contractors and residential clients alike are worried that they have a disease in the lowly pachysandra that will move into [...]
Wow, what a beautiful summer. The weather has been really nice, even a little cool (we are about a week behind normal on some degree day models). The grass is greener this year and everybody [...]
Damage from previously active White Pine Weevil larvae (Pissodes strobi) has been evident for the past several weeks on Eastern white pine, Norway spruce, Siberian spruce, Colorado blue spruce, & Douglas-fir. The larvae began feeding [...]
Now is the time to monitor for two common diseases of Douglas fir: Rhabdocline needlecast (caused by the fungus Rhabdocline pseudotsugae) and Swiss needlecast (caused by the fungus Phaeocryptopus gäumannii). Rhabdocline needlecast is well established in New Jersey Christmas tree plantations, [...]
Many landscape & nursery managers consistently state that attempting to manage the black vine weevil insect (Otiorhynchus subcatus) as one of the most problematic pests they encounter. These leaf notching weevils feed on many kinds [...]
