Leaf Cutting Bees 'Love' Redbuds and More

I was excited to see there was leafcutter bee activity on my walk at Toledo Botanical Garden earlier this week. The activity was on a redbud (Cercis canadensis) seedling. I observed the activity occurred on the lower leaves, closest to the ground. I also noticed leaf cutting bee activity on a redbud at home, and again the activity was near the ground. 

 

Most of the common leafcutter bees (Megachile spp.) are similar in size to the common honeybee, usually a little darker with light bands on the abdomen. Their actions or habits differ from the common...

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Amy Stone

Stripes of a Different Kind - The Zebra Caterpillar

As an Extension professional, I am on the receiving end of a lot of questions, just like my colleagues across the state. These questions come in the form of telephone calls, emails, text messages, photographs, personal conversations and actual samples. Sometimes these questions are answered easily with a quick reply. Sometimes the question needs additional information, photo documentation, more researching, or should be sent on to the OSU Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic (https://ppdc.osu.edu/). 
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Amy Stone

Tree of the Week - Sweetgum

There is nothing better than following a tree through its yearly development. As we are in the throws of fall and leaves are beginning to shine with vibrant shades of autumn and soon will be fallen at accelatored speeds, take a moment and enjoy. Soon will be spending more time indoors as temperatures drop and day length shortens, spend every second you can and take nature in! 
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Amy Stone

Perennial Plant of the Week - Alleghany Pachysandra

Yesterday, I was out taking advantage of a beautiful, but windy day by getting outdoors. I was searching for photos for future programs and upcoming BYGL Alerts as we inch closer and closer to winter. One plant that I wanted to highlight was pachysandra. But not the Japanese pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) that is more commonly planted and likely more familiar to many in comparision to the Alleghany pachysandra (Pachysandra procumbens). This plants is also called mountain spruge or Alleghany spruge. 
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Amy Stone

Study at Penn State to Examine Potential for Birds to Eat Spotted Lanternfly

As we all learn more about the spotted lanternfly, an invasive insect detected in North America in 2014 in eastern Pennsylvania, there are a lot of research being conducted to gain that knowledge. Today's BYGL Alert is a shared article from Penn State University via Penn State News on October, 7, 2020 on one such project that will be encouraging citizen scientists to participate and contribute their observations in the field. The media contact is Amy Duke from Penn State. 
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Amy Stone

Fall 2020 Webinar Series on Invasives, Emerald Ash Borer University - The Green Tree Killing Insect and More!

We’re excited to announce the fall Emerald Ash Borer University lineup! This fall we will be hosting webinars on a wide range of topics on Thursdays at 11:00 AM ET. If you can’t attend the live webinar we will also post recordings. Sign up to watch the live webinars or be notified when the recordings are posted. Please share this announcement with anyone you think might be interested!
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Amy Stone

Turfgrass Times, 10.02.2020

As the season is winding down, so are the Turfgrass Times, a video of the latest and greatest turfgrass information from the OSU turfgrass team. This week's participants included: Dr. David Gardner; Dr. Ed Nangle; Joe Rimelspach; Dr. Pamela Sherratt; Dr. Dave Shetlar (aka the Bug Doc); and Dr. Karl Danneberger. 
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Amy Stone

Garden Peony Clean-Up

When many of us think of Garden Peonies (Paeonia spp.), a grandmother's garden may come to mind. These non-natives have been around for a long time. It's not unusual to find clumps of peonies growing where old homes once stood. However, this old group of perennial flowering plants has seen a resurgence in recent years along with several diseases.
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Joe Boggs

Are Oaks Raining Tribbles?

Curtis Young (OSU Extension, Van Wert County) has regaled participants of our weekly BYGL Zoom Inservice with pictures of fuzzy, deep-red leaf galls on red and pin oaks for a couple of weeks. Ann Chanon (OSU Extension, Loraine County) also showed the group pictures of the galls taken on an oak in a landscape in her county.
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Joe Boggs
This Friday's Escape to the Forest - Birds of Ohio Shores: Diversity, Ecology and Management of Shorebirds in Ohio stone.91@osu.edu Wed, 09/30/2020 - 07:51
This Friday's Ohio State University Woodland Stewards Escape to the Forest is on Birds of Ohio Shores: Diversity, Ecology and Management of Shorebirds in Ohio. The virtual program will begin at 10 am and conclude by 12 pm. To register for this free program, go to: https://go.osu.edu/shorebirds
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Amy Stone
Marne Titchenell
Kathy Smith