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garden pests tagged posts

Choosing a pesticide and reading the labels in the store.

What to Know Before Applying Pesticides in Your Garden

Thanks to the University of Maryland/Maryland Grows this informative article on what to know before applying pesticides in your garden. Featured image: Oregon Department of Agriculture, CC.

You have a pest problem in your garden – maybe it is hungry insects feeding on your vegetables, or stubborn weeds taking over your flower patch, or fungal diseases killing your lawn. You might consider using pesticides (which include insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides), especially if the problem seems widespread or severe. How do you choose the right pesticides and apply them correctly to support a healthy and thriving garden? How do you ensure your food plants remain safe for consumption and adverse impacts on beneficial species and soil health remain minimal?

Choosing the right pestic...

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Get to Know Your Local Mantis

Thanks to the University of Maryland/Maryland Grows this informative article about getting to know your local mantis.

mantis you might find in your back yard
Carolina Mantis adult female in early autumn. Notice how her wings don’t reach the end of her abdomen, as they would with our other local mantids. Photo: M. Talabac

Q:  I’ve heard that not all of our praying mantis types are native. They’re all good for garden pest control though, right, or are some bad instead?

A:  Maryland is currently home to five species of praying mantis, but only one is native, which is the Carolina Mantis. The others are the European, Chinese, Narrow-winged, and Asian Jumping Mantids, with the latter being the most recent introduction...

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