Miner Bees are Major Pollinators. So, Bee Nice.

The majority of bee species nest below ground with around 70% excavating their own nests. Indeed, nesting in the ground is considered the ancestral nesting behavior of all bees. Although there may be some “ground rules” regarding how we refer to these solitary bees, I’m never certain if we should call them, “ground-nesting,” “soil mining,” or something else.
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Authors
Joe Boggs

Drooping Buckeye Leaves: It’s Not Freeze/Frost Damage

There have been numerous reports thus far this season of damage to trees and shrubs attributed to the deep diving temperatures that occurred in December during Christmas week. However, wilted, darkened buckeye (Aesculus glabra) leaves appearing randomly among healthy leaves isn’t winter injury; it’s the handiwork of the Buckeye Petiole Borer (Zeiraphera claypoleana, family Tortricidae).
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Authors
Joe Boggs

Horned Oak Galls are Living Up to Their Common Name

The “horns” that give the Horned Oak Gall its common name are bursting to the surface in southwest Ohio. The horns make the galls look like a miniature version of a medieval martial arts weapon. The woody stem galls were formed under the direction of the gall-wasp, Callirhytis quercuscornigera (syn. Callirhytis cornigera (Family Cynipidae)).
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Authors
Joe Boggs

If I Have Peach Blooms Now- I'll Have Fruit...Right?

After that brutal punch of cold weather ripping through Northeast Ohio this past December 23rd through December 27th, inquiring minds want to know if we’ll have peaches.  How cold it was that night depends upon location, but official records indicate that Cleveland, Ohio dropped from the daytime high of 43°F to -4°F on the 23rd !!  Then on December 24th the daytime high was 13°F and the low that night was -1°F!!  There were two nights in January that had lows of 16°F, followed by two nights in February with lows of 12°F and one night in March with a low of 18°F.  So, will...

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Authors
Erik Draper

Sneaky Winter Annuals

The annual deep purple bloom of Purple Deadnettle and Henbit in Ohio farm fields and a purple haze rising over lawns may conjure a nostalgic pop culture smash-up. These non-native showy weeds belong to the mint family, Lamiaceae, as evidenced by their square stems which is a family trait.
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Authors
Joe Boggs

Zippy Green Beetles

Six-spotted tiger beetles (Cicindela sexguttata) are zipping around forest trails in Ohio. During our weekly BYGL Zoom Inservice this past Tuesday, Curtis Young (OSU Extension, Van Wert County) reported seeing adults out and about in northwest Ohio and I’ve been spotting beetles in the southwest part of the state.
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Authors
Joe Boggs