Author Archives: wizzie.brown

About wizzie.brown

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

A plethora of webinar opportunities

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All Bugs Good & Bad Webinar Series Did you miss the wonderful bed bug webinar presented by Amelia Shindelar?  The recording of the webinar has been posted at: https://learn.extension.org/events/1866   You can view the recordings of any of the previous All Bugs Good and Bad webinars at: http://www.extension.org/pages/72197/2015-all-bugs-good-and-bad-webinar-series   The next webinar is entitled: “Wildlife in the Backyard – a Double-edged Sword.” Tune in on December 4 at 1 pm Central time.  https://learn.extension.org/events/1886 Other upcoming webinars: Bed Bug Updates for Pest Management Professionals 9am (CST) on December 1, 2015 •… Read More →

Central Texas rain and mosquitoes

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WOW!  More rain here in Central Texas today….and that is a bit of an understatement.  Work this morning was exciting, if a bit worrying.  We had everyone in the bathrooms for a period of time because we were under a tornado warning.  Fortunately, that didn’t last too long for us.  It was good bonding time.  After returning to my office, I discovered water seeping in through the wall and window.  I had to sop up the water and set up a barricade of old t-shirts.  Currently, it’s not… Read More →

Where do bugs go when it rains?

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It’s raining! Wait. Let me repeat that. IT’S RAINING!!!! Since it’s a rainy day here in Central Texas, I decided to answer a question I often get when I speak to children about insects. Where do they go when it rains? If you want to know what they do when it gets cold, see this post. We all know that insects don’t carry around umbrellas to protect themselves from the rain, but should they? It often depends on the insect’s size and the heaviness of the rainfall. Obviously,… Read More →

Oak leaf galls

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Galls are an abnormal swelling of plant tissue and can be caused by mites, insects, nematodes, bacteria or fungi. Galls usually are found on leaves and stems, but can sometimes be found on other locations of the plant. In this case, the organism causing the oak leaf gall is a wasp. The gall grows around the insect and helps to protect it from predators and weather. The gall will also provide nutrients to the wasp until the wasp is fully mature. The galls do not seriously affect the… Read More →

FREE WEBINAR on managing cockroaches and ants

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Cockroaches and ants! We don’t want them in our houses. Learn practical tips for preventing problems from these pests in this webinar presented by Elizabeth “Wizzie” Brown from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Note: on October 2, the link to the live webinar opens about 15 minutes before the webinar. If you try to log in earlier, you will get an error message. For more webinars in this series, see All Bugs Good and Bad 2015 Webinar Series. The webinars are brought to you by the following eXtension Communities… Read More →

Fig beetles out in high numbers

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Have you seen me? These beetles are velvety green, about one inch long and 1/2 an inch wide. The top is a dull green with yellow-brown markings on the wings and the underside is bright, metallic green with yellow-orange markings. Larvae are creamy white, c-shaped larvae with well developed head capsules and legs. Larvae (also called grubs) can grow over an inch in length. Green June beetle. Photo by Drees. Adults are large and conspicuous. They like to eat thin-skinned fruits (such as grapes, peaches, figs and others)… Read More →

Insect Hotels

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Insect hotels seem to be the new rage. Since I happen to LOVE bugs, this is right up my alley! Two entomology specialists and I will be holding a class to teach people how to create a great space to welcome insects into your yard. We will discuss specific plants that can be used to attract insects, how to create water sources and other things that insects require, and how to create homes for insects. The class will have a hands-on portion where you will create your own… Read More →

FREE Webinar on Bees, Wasps & Hornets- September 4, 2015

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2015 All Bugs Good and Bad Webinar Series Is it a wasp, a bee, or a hornet?  Why do I care?  Dr. Charles Ray of Auburn University will explain the difference between these creatures, and give practical tips for preventing hornets, yellow jackets and other wasps from ruining your next picnic. Moderated by David Koon  and Lucy Edwards, Regional Extension Agents, Alabama Cooperative Extension System.   Click here to login as a guest and participate in the live event.   Note: on October 2, the link to the live webinar opens about 15 minutes before the webinar.  If you try to log… Read More →

Spider mites

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Do you have webbing covering plants in your landscape? Or maybe, you have webbing covering some of the leaves on your plants? Check the underside of the leaves for spider mites. Spiders mites are not insects, but arachnids more closely related to spiders. They are very small, often looking like little dots running around on the leaf surface. If you look with a hand lens, you’ll see that adults have eight legs and oval shaped bodies. Immatures resemble adults (except for the first stage out of the egg… Read More →

Seasonal Crickets

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Prepare thy-selves people of Central Texas…..they are coming.  I’ve seen immature crickets around various buildings in Central Texas.  The adult masses are building. Crickets are about 1″ long, dark brown to black with large hind legs used for jumping.  Female crickets have a large, sword-like structure, the ovipositor, protruding from the tip of the abdomen. The ovipositor is an egg laying structure. Crickets feed on plant material and other insects.  They can cause damage to seedlings and be destructive to plants when in high numbers.  Males can become… Read More →