Larcenous bees chew holes at the base of tubular floral corollas to practice nectar robbery. Darwin wasn’t the first to write about it. According to the literature, this criminal behavior has been known since 1793 when the German naturalist Christian Sprengel first reported observing bumblebees (Bombus spp.) puncturing flowers with their mandibles.

Ohio Department of Agriculture sprayed an infestation of Spotted Lanternfly on the West Side of Cleveland at Mohican Park.

When talking spongy moth (Lymantria dispar) lifecycle, this non-native invasive species is currently in the egg stage. Now is an excellent time to look for egg masses, and consider planning for management options for the 2023 season.

Check out the latest Turfgrass Times.

When I first saw the webbed nests of the Dogbane Webworm (Saucrobotys futilalis, family Crambidae) on Hemp Dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum, family Apocynaceae), I thought the culprits were fall webworms (Hyphantria cunea, family Erebidae). After all, this native moth has a very wide host range and it’s not uncommon to find their nests on herbaceous perennials.

Recent trips on highways along the Ohio river revealed the so-called Red Bark Phenomenon (RBP) continues on American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis). RBP appears as orangish-red to deep red staining on the bark. Vertical streaks are common making trees look like they’re oozing blood.

Sweetcorn is a great part of summer. But it takes effort and resources to keep it top quality.

This is the second posting on Fall Webworm this season. The first Alert posted on July 27 noted that fall webworm nests are late, but on the rise. However, several significant developments have occurred since that time.

Chrysanthemum lace bugs are feeding heavily on asters and goldenrod now!

Black tupelo (a.k.a. black gum, sour gum) (Nyssa sylvatica) is one of my favorite native trees. The straight species has horizontal branches sculpted into an attractive pyramidal canopy. Lustrous elliptical dark green leaves display a spectacular range of eye-popping colors in the fall, from orangish-yellow to deep red. The many cultivars offer variations on these themes.