Flower

Orange Beetles Are Killing My Flowers, or Are They?

Many gardens are being invaded by orange beetles that have a strong preference for flowering plants. Rest assured, these are soldier beetles and they aren’t feeding on the flowers! Instead, they are actually predators and pollinators.

Cancellation of Several Neonicotinoids

On May 20, 2019, the United States Environmental Protection Agency announced the cancellation of registrations for 12 products that contain neonicotinoid insecticides. The cancellation of the product registrations was voluntarily requested by the companies that had registered the products.

Are Aphids on Milkweed Really a Bad Thing?

This year, we’ve noticed large populations of aphids on swamp milkweed plants and we’ve identified them as the oleander aphid (Aphis nerii), which is sometimes referred to as the milkweed aphid.

Grasshoppers: When to Manage Them in a Yard and Garden

Grasshopper populations are elevated in Central South Dakota. Some of the concerns regarding these large grasshopper populations is that they are feeding on trees, gardens and almost everything in between.

What Are These Shiny Beetles in My Yard and Why Are They Eating Everything?

Japanese beetles are very bad news for anyone with a garden. They are polyphagous insect pests, which simply means they feed on many different host plants.

What are Those Large Beetles in My Garden?

One of the insects that starts to attract attention this time of year is the bumble flower beetle.

Black Vine Weevils Becoming Active

Black vine weevils are now showing up across the state. It is typical for the adult beetles to emerge in early summer and begin feeding on plant foliage. They primarily feed on lilacs and yews, both common landscape shrubs. Although the adults cause minimal damage, their larvae feed on the roots and can occasionally be a threat to ornamental plants, especially those grown in pots or containers.

Dandelion Season

The yellow flowers of spring are coming. Spring dandelion treatments are not as effective as fall, but they can be used to stop the yellow flowers from producing viable seed.

What’s Bugging Your Garden? Broom Moth

There is a new pest problem for flower growers that enjoy Baptisia (false indigo) called the Genista Broom Moth. It is actually the caterpillars that cause the damage.

Care of Peace Lilies

Peace lilies, or Spathiphyllum, are popular houseplants because they are generally easy to grow, have pretty flowers and can tolerate lower light levels. But lots of people do have problems with them. I would say that most of these problems relate to improper watering and fertilizing.