Skeletonizing damage produced by an oak slug sawfly on oaks belonging to the white oak group is becoming in southwest Ohio. The upper leaf surface appears bleached with leave veins remaining apparent. Flipping the leaves over reveals the slug-like culprits stuck to the underside of the leaves.

The Hydrangea Leaftier Moth (Olethreutes ferriferana, family Tortricidae) is so named because the caterpillars tie together developing leaves on wild and cultivated hydrangeas to produce oddball “leaf-purse” structures. The caterpillars are completing their development in southwest Ohio but their handiwork remains.

Look closely at trees and shrubs festooned with last season’s Common Bagworm (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis) bag-abodes. Overwintered bagworm eggs are hatching in southwest Ohio meaning the “bagworm season” is now underway.

This article was authored by Lee Beers and Erika Lyon both are OSU Extension Educators and can contacted at beers.66@osu.edu and lyon.194@osu.edu.

While I was outside taking pictures of the Red Buckeye, my wife asked if I wanted to see another “gotta’ have it… Beautiful Buckeye”.   Intrigued because I thought I knew every plant in the Drapescape, I said “Sure, show me”.  I was literally stunned when she showed me an incredibly gorgeous, jaw dropping Paeonia officinalis x P. lactiflora ‘Buckeye Belle’ (BB) that she had snuck in amongst her other peonies.  It was truly the “Belle of Buckeyes”… alright, alright, it is not a woody ornamental tree, which is why I claimed that I...

Infectious plant disease may be diagnosed by looking for both “signs” and “symptoms.” A sign is some part of the plant pathogen revealed such as thread-like mycelia. A symptom is the visible consequence of a disease.

European Elm Scale (Eriococcus spurius (formerly Gossyparia spuria)) females are dripping sugary, sticky honeydew in southwest Ohio. This is one of the "felt scales" (Family Eriococcidae) so named because of the white felt-like material encircling the female's flattened body. The white-edge / dark-center effect makes the female's bodies look like tiny eyes.

Last week, Tom deHaas and Ann Channon wrote a great BYGL article titled “Not all Buckeyes are Created Equal. Which is Which??” https://bygl.osu.edu/node/1970.  The writing intent was to help identify the different species of Aesculus; naturally, these trees are all lumped together under the common identifier of “Buckeyes”- because after all, who doesn’t love Ohio or the Ohio State Buckeyes or Brutus Buckeye?  One true “buckeye” that is in my landscape and I absolutely love is Aesculus pavia or Red Buckeye (RB) or as it...

I recently visited a commercial landscape in southwest Ohio that had 5” – 8” DBH oaks (Quercus spp.) with leaves covered in clear, sticky honeydew. A close examination of one of the sticky oaks revealed a moderate infestation of Oak Lecanium Scale (Parthenolecanium quercifex, family Coccidae (Soft Scale Insects)).