Have you discovered that something is eating the leaves of your tomato plants and damaging your green tomatoes? You probably have a tomato hornworm or a tobacco hornworm. If you look around, you will probably find a giant green caterpillar on your tomato plants. What Does a Tomato Hornworm or Tobacco Hornworm Look Like? These big worms can grow up to just over three inches in length and they are quite thick. Both caterpillars have diagonal … [Read more...]
Celebrating Pollinators – Bees, Butterflies, Birds and More
National Pollinator Week occurs in mid- to late-June each year. The goal of this Week is to celebrate the beneficial insects, birds, and mammals that pollinate the flowers of plants that produce much of our food, maintain our ecosystems, stabilize soils, and provide wildlife habitat. It also serves to educate people about what they can do to help pollinators. Why are pollinators important? According to the Pollinator Partnership, … [Read more...]
Dragonflies: Nature’s Beautiful but Deadly Insect Predators
With a flash of color and blur of movement, dragonflies zip through the air, often catching another insect in mid-flight. Their amazing flying abilities, those large eyes, and fragile wings have always fascinated me. These amazing insects are often brightly colored, though some are more colored to blend in with their surroundings. This blue/green dragonfly was resting near a lake in Vicksburg, Mississippi. He was so beautiful I just had to … [Read more...]
3 Ways to Protect Yourself from Mosquitoes
Warm weather is here and the mosquitoes are already biting! With diseases like West Nile virus and Zika that are transmitted by mosquitoes, you’re going to need some protection. Mosquito Protection The first step is to avoid getting bitten -- wearing long sleeve shirts and pants are a great idea towards avoiding contact with mosquitoes. There are even clothes that are specifically created to protect you from mosquitoes. However, sometimes … [Read more...]
A Good Bug with a Bad Sting: The Assassin Bug
Have you seen one of these in your garden? I don’t know how I never noticed these little insects during the many years that I have been gardening, but they just never registered on my radar. A friend recently posted about being stung by one of these, and that very same day, I realized that I had taken a photograph of an assassin bug juvenile. Most assassin bugs (there are about 150 species), despite their scary name, are a boon to your … [Read more...]