Armyworms Wreaking Havoc on North Florida Forages

Ray Bodrey, UF/IFAS Gulf County Extension Director & Kalyn Waters, UF/IFAS Holmes County Extension Director A sudden, fierce attack of armyworms is currently underway on Panhandle forages.  Livestock and hay producers should be on the lookout for this pest....
Weed Control Can Also Reduce Insect Damage

Weed Control Can Also Reduce Insect Damage

Insects, like humans, do not like exerting more effort than is necessary. They are also picky eaters. When an insect lands on a plant that it cannot eat or doesn’t prefer to eat, then it must exert more time and effort to search for a more palatable host plant....
Fungus Keeping Kudzu Bugs below Thresholds on Soybeans

Fungus Keeping Kudzu Bugs below Thresholds on Soybeans

Kudzu bugs are a fairly new pest for our area but are already familiar to residents in Northwest Florida.  Researchers are continuously studying new pests to make research-based control recommendations. One research project (UGA research article) is investigating a...
Crown Rot Creeps In

Crown Rot Creeps In

Figure 1. Young peanut plant in Jackson County exhibiting symptoms of crown rot (Aspergillus niger). Photo by Ethan Carter. The severity of crown rot varies from year to year, despite its general presence in peanut fields early in the season. Caused by Aspergillus...
Are Flies Bugging your Horses?

Are Flies Bugging your Horses?

There are many external parasites that effect horses. Some are just annoying but some transmit deadly diseases.  The world’s deadliest creature is also a menace to horses.  These creatures transmit Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis, Western Equine Encephalomyelitis,...