Pest Patrol

Berry Diseases and How to Remedy Them

This is a banner year for raspberries. With plenty of rain this spring and a warm summer they’re producing a large amount of huge, luscious berries. Granted, I have to pick early in the morning to avoid the yellow jackets, but despite paring down the raspberry patch, we’ll have plenty to make jam. The only ...

Fallen branches? Check for twig girdlers.

I found a new beetle in my yard this month: a twig girdler. My county extension agent, Keith, sent out notice last month that he'd been getting inquiries about fallen branches. Investigations revealed the culprit: the beetle, Oncideres cingulate, or twig girdler. I didn’t think much about it until I noticed storm-like damage to one of ...