Author Archives: wizzie.brown

About wizzie.brown

Wizzie Brown is an Extension Program Specialist- IPM with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

FREE Webinar: Pesticide Strategy – the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

What: Pesticide strategy- the good, the bad, and the ugly FREE WEBINAR When: Friday, February 6, 2015 1PM CST Where: https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/fireant Pesticides are useful tools if we use them properly. Improper use can harm the user and the environment and lead to secondary pest outbreaks. Learn how to use pesticides safely and effectively in this webinar presented by Kaci Buhl from Oregon State University. Moderated by Charles Pinkston and Danielle Carroll, Regional Extension Agents, Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Click here to login as a guest and participate in… Read More →

Indian meal moths

Last month I found an Indian meal moth in my kitchen. So what, you say? This insect is probably the most common pantry pest that I get calls on. And it’s in my kitchen. Which meant I had a task in front of me that I wasn’t looking forward to. Indian meal moths are small moths that fold their wings back to form a triangular shape when at rest. The wings are light tan with a coppery-red color at the tips. Larvae, are anywhere from creamy- white to… Read More →

2015 All Bugs Good and bad Seminar Series

The eXtension All Bugs Good and Bad Webinar series is set to resume Feb. 6, 2015. Dr. Kathy Flanders, an entomologist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, says the 2015 series will continue to emphasize good and bad insects that affect people every day. “This webinar series will feature insects that affect homeowners and gardeners,” says Flanders. “These insects fall into two categories and we hope to provide information that is beneficial when treating your gardens or crops, pest-proofing your home and yard, and protecting your family and… Read More →

Striped bark scorpions

With the weather getting cooler, many pests may try to come inside to stay cozy through the colder months. One of the common culprits we see in Central Texas is the striped bark scorpion. If you discover them outside I would leave them alone. They are predators and can help cut down on some of the insects that you have in the yard. When I find them in the house, I scoop them up on a piece of paper and shuffle them back outside. If you don’t quite… Read More →

Salt marsh caterpillars

Salt marsh caterpillars are larvae of a moth in the Family Arctiidae. This species has many color variations from black with orangish-red markings to pale yellow to reddish-brown. Caterpillars are generally lighter in color and darken with age. The body is covered with tufted hairs, or setae. Some people also commonly call these caterpillars woolly bear caterpillars (there are numerous species of moths that can be called woolly bears). The caterpillars are often called woolly bears because of the numerous bristly hairs that project off the body. The… Read More →

Free Recorded Webinar- Where have all the honey bees gone? Hope for the future

If you missed the live webinar, then you can watch in your jammies at your leisure. Go here the green button next to watch recording in the top right side of the screen: https://learn.extension.org/events/1375#.VGYwOaPFpCw Why do we have fewer honeybees these days? What caused the decline? What can we do to help? These questions and more will be answered in this webinar presented by Dr. John Skinner, a Professor in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at the University of Tennessee. Moderated by Sallie Lee, Regional Extension… Read More →

Happy Halloween! Today I discuss spiders!

If you have heard me speak about indoor pest control, you most likely have heard me talk about trying to encourage people to not kill spiders they find in the house. The spiders can help to capture and take care of other insects that may be a problem in the home, so leaving them in place is part of a good IPM program. I also often answer the question of what I do for pest control in my own home. Since hubby and I are both entomologists, we… Read More →

FREE Webinars! Alien Invasions! Zombie! Decapitation! (it is getting close to Halloween…..)

Did you miss the webinar from this month? It’s right in theme with the month of October and even has zombies! All Bugs Good and Bad Webinar Series Alien Invasions, Zombies Underfoot and Billions of Decapitated Fire Ants This webinar was presented by Dr. Sandford Porter, a Research Entomologist in the Imported Fire Ants and Household Insects group of USDA ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology. It was moderated by Nelson Wynn, Regional Extension Agent, Alabama Cooperative Extension Service. To watch the recorded webinar, go here… Read More →

Baiting for fire ants in the fall

Broadcast baiting for imported fire ants in the fall can help reduce the number of fire ant mounds see in the fall and spring. Tips for baiting: Make sure the bait is fresh fire ants pick bait up as food, if bait is rancid they will not pick it up fresh bait should have a nutty or corn-like scent (unless it’s spinosad bait which smells differently than other baits) rancid bait smells sour Apply bait when fire ants are foraging on hot days, fire ants forage in the… Read More →