Insects

Learn about the emerald ash borer insect and why it's a concern on trees. Listen to podcast: Hey, has there been a run on purple box kites? Am I missing the latest hobby trend? Nope, those purple boxes hanging in trees throughout Vermont have a more important role to play. They're insect traps. The emerald ash borer is a bright metallic green, 1/2-inch long Asian insect that invaded our shores in 2002, probably as a hitch hiker on some wooden packing boxes. It has been causing a path of destruction to ash trees killing millions of these...

Learn about beetles in the garden and how to control them. Listen to podcast: The beetles have arrived. This is a different fab 4 than who I grew up with. Flea, cucumber, potato, and asparagus are all beetles that love your veggies. Here are some organic controls. If you have the time, handpicking all these adult beetles in the morning while they're sluggish helps reduce the population. If you can't do it, pay the neighborhood kids. It's a great summer job! The larval forms of beetles are the easiest to control. The red asparagus beetle...

Learn about mosquitoes in the garden and yard and how to control them. Listen to podcast: The only critters that loved the flooding this spring were some fish species and mosquitoes. In fact, it's gearing up to be a doozy of a mosquito season. While the mosquito season has been delayed because of high lake and stream levels, once the waters recede, the warm, stagnant pools left behind will be a perfect mosquito breeding ground. It won't take long for the mosquitoes to start ruining your summer picnics. They can go from egg to adult in...

Watch this video to learn about the life cycle of Japanese beetles and how to control them organically using sprays, hand picking and traps. Control Japanese beetles, including how to trap and spray for them. Listen to podcast: They're here! Today I saw my first Japanese beetle lingering on a rose flower. In Japan these beetles aren't much of a pest as natural predators and few lawns limit they're reproduction. However, east of the Mississippi River, Japanese beetles feed on hundreds of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. So let's get right...

Learn about controlling the red lily leaf beetle, including the safest sprays to use. Listen to podcast: For years lilies have been the carefree darlings of many perennial gardens. But then came the red lily leaf beetle. This European native found its way to Massachusetts in 1992 and has been spreading around New England ever since. If you grow Asiatic, Oriental, or Turk's cap lilies or fritillaria bulbs, you know these beetles. Daylilies, luckily, aren't affected. The overwintering bright red adults emerge to feed in spring as soon as...

Learn how to control these slimy gastropods in your garden. Learn how to control slugs and care for your vegetable and flower garden. Controls include non toxic, organic baits, traps, and some unusual techniques. Listen to the podcast and watch my video. Listen to podcast: Start any conversation about gardening during a spell of wet weather and sooner or later the talk will turn to slugs and snails.  Vermont slugs and snails are not as large as the foot long banana slugs my friends in Seattle deal with, but they can be just as numerous....