The four–lined plant bug, Poecilocapus lineatus which is easily identified by the four black strips running down its back, has a wide range of hosts including: fruits, vegetables, flowers, herbs, and cucurbits. Many of our customers have brought in plants that a covered with a series of ugly, purple spots....
Rose Bush Slugs
Ben HenryMay 17, '20
As the weather finally warms up the bad bugs show up. The rose slug skeletonizes leaves on roses. Several of our customers mistook the damage for a disease. Rose slugs look more like caterpillars than slugs. They are the larvae of primitive wasps called sawflies. There are three species: the...
Mosquito Control for the Yard, Garden and Pond
Ben HenryMay 17, '20
Mosquitoes can be a nuisance: their whine is irritating and their bites are itchy. But mosquitoes can also be dangerous: many carry nasty diseases such as West Nile Virus, Zika Virus and Equine Encephalitis, as well as dog and cat Heartworm Disease. In years when we receive above average rainfall, mosquito...
Magnolia Scale
Ben HenryMay 17, '20
Magnolia Tree Looks Sick and is Dripping Sticky Black Sap All over the Plants below It. Magnolia scale has become an increasingly common problem on magnolia trees in Illinois. Magnolia scale, Neolecanium cornuparvum is one of the largest and most conspicuous scale insects in our area. The over-wintering nymphs...
Tags: Plant Disorders, Reference, spring, summer
Pesche’s Professional Potting and Planting Soil
Ben HenryMay 17, '20
Inexperienced gardeners often wonder why high quality potting mixes do not look like the rich, black loamy dirt found in lawns and gardens. Plants obviously thrive in this soil, so why not use it as a potting soil? Many years ago, professional growers discovered that no matter how rich looking,...