Importance of Reducing Mosquito Breeding Sites
Background South Carolina is home to at least 61 different species of mosquitos, providing a food source for birds, fishes, frogs, bats, and other animals. Mosquitos are close relatives of flies in...
Category: Problems
Asian Longhorned Beetle
The Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) is a large, striking insect that is black with white spots, 1 to 1 ½” long, has long black and white striped antennae and bluish feet. This beetle is in the family...
Insect Pests of Sweet Corn
Cutworms Cutworms damage a few plants in most gardens every year, but some gardens are so heavily infested as to warrant control by the grower. Bottom land (low-lying land, creek bottoms, etc.) is...
Clover Mites
Clover mites, Bryobia praetiosa, are more closely related to ticks than they are to insects. They feed on grasses and over 200 different plants in the landscape. When they occur in large numbers,...
Fabric Pest Control
Many insects feed on a variety of foods. For some insects such as the carpet beetles and clothes moths, their nourishment comes from eating items made of organic materials. The most commonly...
Boxwood Diseases & Insect Pests
Boxwoods (Buxus spp.) are adapted to a wide range of light conditions, and prefer fertile, moist, well-drained soil, which is amended with organic matter. For information on species, varieties and...
Black Twig Borer
Black Twig Borer (Xylosandrus compactus) is a species of a scolytid beetle and is one of the few ambrosia beetles that will infest healthy or stressed plants. The adult beetle is solid black, shiny,...
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...
Bean & Southern Pea Insect Pests
Major Seedling Feeders Aphids: Aphids (Aphis species and Macrosiphum euphorbiae) are soft-bodied “plant lice,” about 1/16 to 1/8 inch in length and are usually green although some species are...
Sweet Potato & Irish Potato Insects
Wireworms Several kinds of wireworms feed on sweet potatoes as well as Irish potatoes. The southern potato wireworm (Conoderus falli) is injurious in the southeastern United States. Adults (click...
Integrated Pest Management (I.P.M.) for Cabbage Looper
Cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni) is a common vegetable garden pest that feeds on many different species of crops, such as: beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and other brassica crops. Other host...
Holes in the Lawn
When holes and excavations mysteriously appear in lawns, it is helpful to note the season, location, and size. These are helpful clues when trying to identify the culprit and prevent further damage....