Entomology
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Scale insects are very common pests of landscape trees
and shrubs, yet they often are overlooked when scouting.
They can, however, be responsible for chlorosis (loss of
green coloration of plants due to lack of chlorophyll),
branch dieback, or death of the plant. Wax scales are
part of the soft scale group as they produce soft, cottony,
powdery, or waxy covers that cannot be separated from
the scale body. Indian wax scale (Ceroplastes ceriferus);
Figure 1) and Florida wax scale (Ceroplastes floridensis;
Figure 2) are the common wax scale species that occur in
Georgia. Indian wax scale is prevalent in the eastern U.S.
from Florida to Maryland. Florida wax scale is found from
Florida to New York and westward to New Mexico.|
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This pocket field guide provides a summary of the common economically damaging species of ambrosia beetles in the Eastern and Southern U.S. It includes an easy-to-use morphological identification guide, external and internal plant-injury descriptions to help in infestation diagnosis, and trapping guidelines and protocols for researchers, Extension agents, and growers. The finished printed size of this guide is 3″ wide x 5″ high. Please contact the Publications Editor at extpublications@uga.edu to obtain a PDF suitable for commercial printing (with page bleeds).
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Bumblebees are prone to catch your attention with their sonicating buzz or conspicuous and colorful appearance. They are robust, fuzzy-looking insects, with varying bands of coloration and a hairy abdomen.
This characteristic differentiates them from the look-alike carpenter bees. Carpenter bees have bald abdomens.
Similar to honeybees, bumblebees are in the family Apidae; they are social bees but survive or just one season,
unlike honeybees. Bumblebees usually are active from early spring through fall, visiting and collecting pollen
and nectar from flowers.
Bumblebees are distributed worldwide, with up to 260 species all over the globe. Most species are encountered in
the Northern Hemisphere, while others are located in Central and South America and northern Africa. Forty-nine
bumblebee species in the United States are known, and 17 of them are found in Georgia.|
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We can positively affect pollinator populations in our region by providing plants that help sustain them. Pollinators face the increasing challenges of habitat loss, parasite and disease pressure, and the unintended consequences of pesticide misuse. Bee forage plants can bloom season-long with careful plant selection appropriate to the region. A combination of herbaceous perennial and annual plants, trees, and shrubs can provide valuable resources to bees and other pollinators. Even grasses can be used by bees as a pollen source, while crape myrtles can provide a later season resource for pollinators. Anyone—from individual home gardeners to commercial and agricultural property managers—can promote pollinator health by selecting and planting appropriate plants. This guide provides options for selecting flowering woody plants that are attractive to bees and butterflies and sometimes have additional wildlife benefits.
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The publication gives basic biology and description, with images, of the spider’s immature and adult forms, along with recommendations for managing them around the home. The Joro spider is a native of Japan and East Asia that was first documented in the United States in 2014 in northeast Georgia. The initial population appeared to be centered around Braselton and Hoschton, GA, along I-85. By 2022, the spiders had spread about 75 miles in all directions from that initial detection. The native range of these spiders in Asia extends from southeast Asia northward through a swath of eastern China, the Korean peninsula, and all but the northernmost island of Japan, and westward to India and the foothills of the Himalayas. Given that distribution, there seems to be no obstacle to the Joro eventually expanding its range to include all of Georgia, the Southeast, and most of the rest of the eastern U.S. as well.
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Tawny crazy ants (TCA), or Nylanderia fulva [Mayr], are one of a number of pest ant species that have been accidentally introduced to the U.S. mainland from abroad (Figure 1). The establishment and subsequent expansion of TCA have proven to be a major nuisance to property owners, disrupting ecological balance by outcompeting native ant species, negatively affecting various arthropod and vertebrate animal species, and becoming an economic pest. Examples of other invasive ants that have made their way to the U.S. since the late 1800s include the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile), the bigheaded ant (Pheidole megacephala), the ghost ant (Tapinoma melanocephalum), the dark rover ant (Brachymyrmex patagonicus), and the Asian needle ant (Brachyponera chinensis), to name a few.
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This publication will educate pest management professionals about pesticides and instill vigilance in their handling and use. In order to understand how to use chemical pest control products responsibly, PMPs must have a basic understanding of the various definitions associated with pesticides, be able to interpret labels and material safety data sheets (including principles of toxicity), be aware of their own
safety, understand the mode of action (i.e., how pesticides work) of the various active ingredients they use, and be aware of differences in formulation types.|
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Several dozen insect species infest food and non-food products of plant and animal origin commonly found in homes. Collectively, this group of insects is referred to as stored product pests. Most are small beetles or moths. For homeowners, often the first sign of a stored product pest infestation is the sudden, unexplained and then persistent presence of numerous insects in a particular area of the home.
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Carpenter ants are so-called because of their habit of chewing wood to create nest sites. They do not eat wood, like termites, but they excavate it with their strong, saw-like jaws to create random galleries where they nest. Carpenter ants are also a nuisance because of their abundance and large size.
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