What Is That Fuzzy Red and Black Ant?
Did you just see a fuzzy red and black ant scurrying across your yard, driveway, or pine straw? Then you just saw a velvet ant – they’re closely related to ants but are actually wasps. There are...
Author: Dr. Dave Coyle
Velvet Ants
Velvet ants are not ants at all; they are wasps in the family Mutillidae. Although more common in the southwestern U.S., they can be found throughout the Southeast. Forty-one species in six genera...
Joro Spider
Big, yellow spiders, anyone? South Carolina has them, and as summer heats up, they get more and more noticeable. One of these spiders is the Joro spider, a non-native species first found in northern...
Eastern Eyed Click Beetle
The eastern eyed click beetle (Alaus oculatus) is found throughout South Carolina. Also known as the eyed elater, this is one of the larger click beetles in the region, with adults sometimes...
The Spotted Lanternfly Moves Closer To South Carolina
The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) (SLF) is the latest non-native species to take hold in the U.S. This planthopper is large (about a half-inch long) and originally from several countries...
Living Christmas Trees
Living Christmas trees are container-grown or balled and burlapped Christmas trees that can be planted as landscape trees after the holiday season. This way of enjoying a Christmas tree is practical...
Pesticide Waste Disposal
Before using any pesticide, it is essential to read the entire product label. The label has key safety instructions to protect the applicator before, during, and after pesticide use. Directions for...
Pesticide Safety
Pesticides are chemicals used to kill, repel, or control organisms which are considered pests. Pesticides include insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, disinfectants, and many other...
Big Yellow Spiders in South Carolina
When walking through the woods or even in the backyard, people may run across a huge black and yellow spider, which may be weaving a large golden web or sitting waiting patiently for prey to get...
Banana Spiders
It’s not a banana, but it is big and yellow…it’s a banana spider! These gentle arachnids are fairly common in South Carolina during mid to late summer, especially in the Lowcountry. These spiders...
Cicadas
Cicadas are large plant feeding insects known for their loud, shrill noise and discarded shells (called exoskeletons) that cling to trees and other vegetation. Cicadas belong to the suborder...
Bradford Pear and Elaeagnus to be Banned from Sale in South Carolina: What Do I Need To Know?
The recent news that all Pyrus calleryana cultivars – the most common of which is the Bradford pear – and several Elaeagnus species have been added to the “do not sell” list in South Carolina has...