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...
Category: Entomology
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...
Zinnia Insect Pests & Diseases
Insect Pest Prevention & Control Zinnias are excellent sources of pollen and nectar for many beneficial insects; therefore, it is not recommended that insecticides, other than insecticidal soap,...
Honey Bee Pollen Timing Chart
Beginning Beekeeping Beekeeping is a fun and challenging enterprise. There is an increasing interest in beekeeping in South Carolina, in part due to the recent reports concerning honey bee losses in...
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...
Rose Insects & Related Pests
With their showy and often fragrant blooms, roses are easily one of the most popular flowering plants grown in South Carolina. Unfortunately, the numerous insects and related pests that attack them...
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...
Sweet Potato & Irish Potato Insects
Wireworms Several kinds of wireworms feed on sweet potatoes as well as on Irish potatoes. The southern potato wireworm (Conoderus falli) is injurious in the Southeastern United States. Adults (click...
Mole Cricket Management in Turfgrass
Turfgrass management involves a basic knowledge of several different cultural practices, such as proper irrigation, fertilization, and mowing. However, an understanding of insect pests and disease...
Cucumber, Squash, Melon & Other Cucurbit Insect Pests
Cucumber Beetles The spotted, striped, and banded cucumber beetles are very harmful to cucurbits (members of the gourd family, including cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, and squashes), particularly...