Author: Justin Ballew

There are diamondback moth caterpillars on the right. The caterpillar on the left is a cabbage webworm. Cabbage webworms feed near the growing points of brassica plants, often damaging the growing...

This is an Eastern garter snake. These nonvenomous snakes are pretty common in South Carolina and are active most of the year. They feed primarily on frogs, toads, worms, slugs, and even fish and...

Coastal Region Zack Snipes reports, “What a wild week we had with the hurricane, rain, and storm prep. Overall, the Lowcountry dodged most of the wind and water.  While we still had wind gusts...

Coastal Region Rob Last reports, “Sweet potatoes in the area are coming to harvest along with fall watermelons, squash, and zucchini. Diseases are present in the cucurbits, particularly downy mildew...

This little critter looks a lot like a bee (it’s yellow, fuzzy, and foraging flowers), but if you look closely, you’ll see it has only one pair of wings (bees have two). This feature distinguishes...

Coastal Region Rob Last reports, “Fall watermelons are looking good. There is some disease around, so fungicide applications remain crucial. I am finding whiteflies in a few crops too. As we move...

Coastal Region Zack Snipes reports, “It rained every day last week, and we ended up with over 8 inches. Field conditions are really soupy right now, and growers have had problems getting into some...

This is a caterpillar known as the hickory horned devil. The adult is a beautiful moth known as the regal moth (Citheronia regalis), but it is rarely seen due to its nocturnal habit. The hickory...

Midlands Region Justin Ballew reports, “We had a few rain events last week, and temperatures were a little cooler. Fall planted crops are growing really well right now, but due to the recent...