I received a container of ground cayenne peppers with a surprise far greater than the capsaicin kick. The product was heavily infested with cigarette beetles. The homeowner noted they hadn't used the product for some time. However, they had noticed small brown beetles buzzing around their home and collecting on their window seals.

Peony leaf blotch disease is caused by the fungus Graphiopsis chlorocephala (formerly Cladosporium paeoniae). The fungus produces diseases with different names depending on the symptoms.

I came across a green June beetle larva (grub) last Thursday slowly slinking across a driveway. This is one of largest and strangest white grubs you'll ever see in Ohio. First, the mature grubs are huge measuring well over 1" in length. They look like white grubs on steroids.

Oak bullet galls have reached their maximum size for the season and will soon release their developing female wasps. The galls arise from twigs and are produced under the direction of several species of cynipid wasps (family Cynipidae). So, you may find different types of bullet galls depending on the exact gall-making wasp species that directed their creation.

I came across a beautiful little native fly this week while taking pictures of pollinators on common goldenrod. The fly, Trichopoda pennipes, doesn't have a common name, but some web-based resources refer to it as the "feather-legged fly." This is not entirely correct.

ArborEatUm 2018. Bring your edible landscape creations or just your appetite. This year's version of ArborEatUm will be Tuesday, October 9, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm at the Miller Pavilion and the grounds of OSU's Secrest Arboretum in Wooster, Ohio. It is a free program and there is no registration needed. Just you.

I enjoy making unexpected discoveries with one revelation leading to the next and then the next like pulling apart one of those Russian nesting dolls. My chain of discoveries started with finding "fresh" puffball mushrooms during a walk in a local park. I was thrilled because I had never taken pictures of the early stages of these peculiar looking mushrooms.

Beech Leaf Disease, a novel problem on beeches in woodlands, is often misdiagnosed from other problems. One such problem is feeding and symptoms of leaf curl by a common aphid. The symptoms, however are quite different, so look carefully.

Prickly-ash trees, giant swallowtail butterflies, furocoumarins, lime disease, emerald ash borer: oh what a tale these weave.

Take note!  Every few years it seems that there are high populations of spotted cucumber beetles that have moved from vegetable gardens into the flower beds.  They love to feed on the supple, tender sweet petals of dahlia, mum, petunia, portulaca, sunflower and many others.  Joe Boggs did a quick check in his area and found them feeding on Jerusalum artichokes.  Joe also noted that this is his "go-to indicator plant" when inspecting for this pest in his area.  They seemed to be working the salvia but not actually feeding on it.