Ever wonder how Christmas trees can have such a perfect shape at Christmas? It all comes down to proper shearing!

Extensioneers are receiving reports of Green June Beetles (Cotinis nitida, family Scarabaeidae) cruising lawns in Ohio. Despite the "June" in their common name, these native scarab beetles always make their annual appearance in July in Ohio. They typically gather en masse to terrorize gardeners, golfers, sunbathers, small children, and pets as they buzz over home lawns and golf courses.

The tops of Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) and spruces (Picea spp.) in southwest Ohio are showing the distinctive dieback and "shepherd's crook" symptoms produced by our native White Pine Weevil (WPW) (Pissodes strobi). The tops may be covered in brown to reddish-brown needles, or free of needles.

The Plant Phenology and Growing Degree Day (GDD) posts and impacts have been a Buckeye Yard and Garden onLine (BYGL) staple for years. GDD will continue to be an important part of the blog written to assist green industry professionals, Extension professionals, Extension volunteers, and people with a passion for plants and pests too.

Check out the latest edition of the OSU Turfgrass Team Times recorded on Friday, June 28, 2024.

Check out the latest edition of the OSU Turfgrass Team Times (TTT).

Magnolia Scale (Neolecanium cornuparvum) and Tuliptree Scale (Toumeyella liriodendri) are native “soft scales” (order Hemiptera, family Coccidae). Coccids are called soft scales because the females are hidden beneath a helmet-like soft leathery covering that provides some protection. However, they are easily crushed.

The synchronous fireflies, Photinus carolinus, are a sight to see!

Fireflies (family Lampyridae, order Coleoptera) are drifting over fields and landscapes in Ohio. Numbers tend to climb through June peaking in July. Ohio is home to around 25 species. Not all of them produce bioluminescence.