Beekeeping in the Panhandle Workshop & Trade Show April 1 & 2
The Beekeeping in the Panhandle Working Group is pleased to offer the 5th Annual Beekeepers Field Day And Trade Show 2016 Beekeeping is one of the fastest growing hobby and commercial endeavors in Florida. There is much to learn and share about this fascinating...
Do Your Part to Stop the Spread
With all the news about the Zika virus spread in Florida, now is the time to start thinking about mosquito protection. As the weather warms, they will be hatching. Check out where the water is collecting in your yard. The female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes lay their...
Life’s a Beach! Practice Beach Safety and Etiquette
It is that time of year again. Spring Break brings locals and visitors back to the beach for fun in the sun. It is important to remind folks that part of having fun is playing it safe. At the beach, this means knowing and following some pretty basic safety guidelines....
An Ancient Mariner… the horseshoe crab
Talk about weird and cool at the same time! The horseshoe crab is one of the oldest living species we have in the Gulf of Mexico. Fossils of this animal date back to almost 500 million years… this is before there was such a thing as fish! The separating of Pangea,...
Snorkeling… 5 Ways to Safely Enjoy Our Nearshore Snorkel Reefs
It’s that time of year… the air is warming and spring break has begun. Crowds of locals and visitors have begun to descend on area beaches to enjoy the panhandle sunshine and waterways, and safety is always a concern. One of the many water activities visitors can...
NISAW 2016 – Working together to remove Giant Salvinia (Salvinia molesta) from Northwest Florida
Matthew Phillips and Scott Jackson - UF/IFAS Extension and Research works with many partners supporting invasive species management actions and strategies across Florida. One key partner is the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC),...
NISAW 2016 – Air Potato Leaf Beetle, a Biological Control for Air Potato
Air potato (Dioscores bulbifera) is a perennial, herbaceous self-twining vine that can grow over 60 feet in length, enabling it to climb over and smother many native plants. The Florida Exotic Plant Pest Council (FLEPPC) lists air potato as a Category 1 invasive...
NISAW 2016 – Tropical Soda Apple
Florida ranchers know Tropical Soda Apple (TSA) as the “Plant from Hell”. It was first noticed in south Florida, but its seeds survive in the digestive tract of animals and it spread north through the movement of hay and cattle. TSA plants are covered with thorns and...
NISAW 2016 – Tiger Prawn (Penaeus monodon) “Lions in the Gulf and Tigers in the Bay”
Giant Tiger Prawn (Penaeus monodon): This catchy phrase coined by Robert Turpin (Escambia County Marine Resources Division) describes a recent invader to our marine waters in the past decade. Many coastal residents are aware of the invasive lionfish that has...
NISAW 2016 – Climbing Ferns
Japanese Climbing Fern (Lygodium japonicum) and Old World Climbing Fern (Lygodium microphyllum) are presently the only non-native invasive ferns in Florida. Both ferns reproduce and spread readily by wind-blown spores. Animals, equipment, and even people that...