Latest news with #pests
Telegraph
a day ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Ask the head gardener: My buddleia is diseased – can I save it?
Dear Tom, I have several buddleia plants in my garden, some big, and they are all exhibiting signs of being diseased. Crinkly, mottled leaves and flower spikes failing to develop. I am in west Cornwall but a friend in east Devon mentioned that she had a similar problem. Any advice much appreciated! – Liz Dear Liz, Your question is really timely for me. As I sat out in my garden the other evening, enjoying the relatively cool temperatures with a glass of something even cooler, I noticed that a couple of my buddleia were showing the same symptoms. I have experienced unusually high numbers of pests at West Dean this year, exacerbated by the warm, dry spring. This was clarified with a visit from a local fruit group who described an unusually successful year for aphids on fruit trees too. A plant's response to an insect attack will involve a degree of leaf curl – although there may be no insects visible, that doesn't mean that your plant has not been got at. Over the past few years, more and more gardeners are reporting issues with distorted, curled leaves that appear to be virused on their buddleias, and in severe cases, flowers are aborted. From its research and high numbers of member enquiries, the RHS has concluded that the culprit is most likely to be the melon-cotton aphid. Originally thought to be an issue for plants that grow in greenhouses, the distribution of these aphids in gardens is causing some excitement among entomologists at the RHS, so much so that they'd like us to report any damage with photographs to a survey found on this link. When it comes to tackling this issue, the good news is that buddleia is repeat flowering, so by pruning out the worst of the damage at the extremities of the stems, you'll promote fresh growth and flowers in a few weeks' time. These sap-sucking pests will have weakened the plant, so a handful of Growmore or fish, blood and bone around the feeder roots (not the base of the trunk) and a thorough watering will help to encourage that new growth. I have always considered buddleia to be bombproof garden shrubs, with very few pest and disease issues. I would hope that this pest does not change my opinion over the coming years, but my advice would be to stay vigilant. Once you have removed the damaged growth, and fed and watered the shrub, spray the new growth with SB Plant Invigorator, which is soap-based. Spray the new growth only, no need to spray the entire plant, as the aphids are more likely to be found on the soft growth at the tips; do this once a week as a preventative until the end of September and continue to do so as new growth emerges next spring. You may simply remove the damaged growth and hope that the new shoots are not affected; I appreciate that this new level of commitment to your buddleia might not be for everyone. Encouraging more aphid predators into your garden will also help to lessen the damage in future years: ladybirds, earwigs and birds will all help to control numbers. A few blue tit boxes around the garden will not only give you great pleasure but also help to maintain more of a balance.
WIRED
a day ago
- General
- WIRED
Get Comfortable With the Frigidaire 35 Pint Dehumidifier
When's the last time you paid attention to the humidity inside your home and not just outdoors? 'What?' you may think, 'Isn't it the same in here as out there?' Not always. It can differ quite a bit, depending on the season and your home's heating system. If you have a basement, then you're likely familiar with how swampy they can feel. Condensation can form on the walls, and water can even seep into your home. This mid-sized Frigidaire dehumidifier may be just what you need to make your basement (or the rest of your home) feel a bit more habitable. The ideal indoor humidity is between 30 and 50 percent, if you want to deter mold and pests, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. If the humidity is too high, you'll feel like you're swimming in hot soup, and mildew could form in your home. Too low and your skin will begin to dry out, and your wood furniture can develop cracks and splits. The thing you may notice the most when it's too humid indoors, though, is that it feels hot. Way hotter than the thermostat says it is. Whether you're ready to try out your first dehumidifier or you're already using one and just need to replace it, check out this Frigidaire 35-pint model. You may be just as pleasantly surprised as I was. While you're upgrading your home, take a look at our guides to the Best Air Purifiers, Best Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products, and Best Dyson Vacuums. Why You Should Dehumidify More humid air feels hotter. Seventy percent humidity at 70 degrees will feel a lot worse than 40 percent humidity at 70 degrees. I was eager to address the swampy East Coast humidity when I unboxed my Frigidaire. Once I plugged it in, it took only 15 minutes to bring the indoor humidity of my two-bedroom apartment from a life-sapping 75 percent down to a comfortable 40 percent. With its smart settings, you set the humidity in five-percent increments from 35 to 85 percent, and the machine shuts off when the indoor humidity reaches that level. Photograph: Frigidaire It won't run all the time. Rather, it'll monitor the actual humidity and turn the fan on and vary its speed as needed. The Frigidaire didn't let the humidity climb more than a couple of percentage points higher than my chosen setting before it turned on again to bring the humidity back. Using a ThermoPro TP49 digital thermometer and hygrometer to measure the humidity level, the Frigidaire had a good read on the actual humidity level of my apartment. When I set it to 45 percent, it stayed at 45 percent, plus or minus no more than a couple of percentage points. Its automatic function of turning off, on, or very occasionally to a medium or high fan setting was smooth and intelligent. When I opened a window to let in the breeze (and that swampy, humid outdoor air), the machine would soon kick into a higher fan speed to suck up the moist air that'd entered my home. As far as noise, I'd say it's not overly noisy for a dehumidifier, but neither is it unnoticeable or "whisper-soft." Even on its lowest fan speed (of three), you'll hear it. That's why I put mine at the end of my apartment, rather than in the middle, even though it should be more centrally located. I like white noise, and I never needed to put it on a speed faster than low, even during sweltering East Coast summers. Using the NIOSH Sound Level Meter app on an iPhone 15 Pro, I measured 50-60 decibels, depending on whether the dehumidifier was humming along on low fan speed or blasting away on high. If you can't stand the sound of even a floor fan, then, well, the Frigidaire is going to bother you, because it's louder than that. Dehumidifiers take a fair bit of energy to run, so expect to see using one show up on your energy bills. The 35-pint Frigidaire I tested used 380 watts. That's markedly better than the 590 watts the GE 35-pint dehumidifier and a fair bit better than the LG 30-pint dehumidifier's 420 watts. Comparing dehumidifiers as a whole to perhaps a more familiar home appliance, Anker says the average 55-inch TV will use 77 watts while on and 2.1 watts in standby mode.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Mosquitoes and ticks on the rise in CSRA, doctors share protection tips
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – With these warm temperatures, you're likely taking advantage of the sunshine outside. But, the summer time means mother nature's pests are also taking over. If you're going on a hike, the lake, or summer camp this summer, there's a high chance you'll have an encounter with mosquitoes or ticks. That's why local health experts want you to take the right precautions to protect yourself. We caught up with some construction workers who have had to get used to the bugs clocking in 10-to-12-hour days. 'Man, they've been crazy so far man. But, just trying to do my best to keep them off of me to do my job,' said Jadyn Stephens. 'Yes, especially when it gets to about 5 or 6 o'clock when they come out, it gets a little rough out here sometimes,' Branson Parker said. The spring and early summer months are the time of year where there is an increase in these types of bugs. But a combination of Hurricane Helene, recent rainfall and humidity have led to an uptick in mosquitoes and ticks. 'After the hurricane, it really did bring about a lot more floodwater type mosquitoes that we haven't seen previously,' said Mindy Kruty-Crothers, with the Georgia Department of Public Health in Richmond County. Doctors are also seeing a rise in cases involving ticks. 'Ticks are certainly active in early spring and early summer,' said Dr. Morgan Thakore, a dermatologist at Doctor's Hospital. 'Most of the ticks that people are going to see are very, very small—they're usually about the size of a poppy seed.' Like mosquitoes, ticks can also carry various diseases—-another reason Thakore says you need to be cautious of them. 'Most of the time with ticks, people think of lime disease, rocky mountain spotted fever, but those are very uncommon in Georgia,' said Thakore. 'Typically, lime disease is going to be in the Northeastern part of the United States, or Northern to Midwest states. So, it's not typical to see that here unless somebody has traveled to those areas.' They are harder to find than mosquitoes because they're smaller in size, but dermatologists say protection for both types of bugs are similar. 'Even though it's hot, wearing long-sleeved clothing, boots, closed-toed shoes and socks is the best way to prevent ticks from being able to find an attachment point on their body. If you are out hiking or in wooded areas, take a shower afterwards. That way if there is anything on you, you can wash it off quickly before it has a chance to attach,' Thakore said. While you can usually swat a mosquito, she says there are misconceptions about the proper way to remove a tick if you see one on your body. 'The best way to remove a tick is to grasp it at the base of the skin—where the head is—and to gently (but forcefully) remove the tick. You want to try and get the head as well,' said Thakore. 'You don't just want to twist and jerk the body off, otherwise the mouth parts can break apart in the skin.' Kruty-Crothers says it's hard to prevent getting bit by mosquitoes altogether, but protecting yourself is key. 'We do want people to stay protected, because we do have mosquitoes that carry disease in our area, like West Nile virus. So, that would be the biggest reason why you'd want to avoid getting bit,' the director for mosquitoes and vector surveillance said. 'We try to remain in the shade by the trees, even though the mosquitoes are near the trees. But, we got a job to do at the end of the day,' said Jaheim Heath. Doctors also recommend using deep bug spray to protect yourself as well. If you put on sunscreen to protect your skin, they say you should put the sunscreen on before the bug spray. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Sun
2 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Newbuild owners show before & after of ‘garden nightmare' that went from green & fluffy to muddy pit after pest invasion
A NEWBUILD homeowner has shared a shocking before and after look at her 'garden 'nightmare'. Charley Mary, a mother from the UK, explained that when she and her man moved into their newbuild property, the grass in their garden was perfect. 3 3 But, before long, a horrifying pest invasion turned the luscious lawn into a muddy pit. Posting on social media, the content creator shared a close-up look at her garden 's downfall, leaving many totally stunned. Alongside the short clip of her 'garden nightmare', the savvy mum begged: 'Send help.' At the start of the video, viewers saw Charley's garden shortly after she and her partner moved in. She wrote: 'What it looked like before…so fluffy and green.' But moments later, alongside a crying emoji, Charley added: 'Then the leatherjackets came …and now this is what it looks like.' The stunning grass was practically nowhere to be seen, with her garden merely soil with a few patches of sparse grass. What are leatherjackets? As recently reported by Fabulous, Ben Agnew, a grass expert at Lawnsmith, warned gardening gurus to be on the lookout for signs of leatherjackets - a common pest that destroys grass from the roots up. The gardening pro said: "Although small, these grubs can be a nightmare for your lawn. 'An infestation can undo all the hard work you've put in and leave you with nothing. Nature's Defenses: Organic Solutions to Garden Pest Problems "They thrive by eating the roots of grass and plants, killing their food source as they go. 'As they exist under the surface of your lawn, the first sign of an issue is your lawn dying, leaving yellow patches that then turn brown. 'The damp, wet conditions experienced in the UK during winter create the perfect environment for the eggs to hatch into leatherjackets." Common garden pests Common pests in the garden don't need to be a cause for alarm. If you can identify them, you can work on getting rid of them and preventing them from returning. Aphids (Greenfly, Blackfly) Aphids are extremely common and can impact plant growth. They have tiny soft pear-shaped bodies, and are usually green or black. You may spot them clustered on the stem of soft shoots – look under leaves in particular – or may find a sticky substance on your plants that gives away aphids have been there sucking at the sap. Whitefly These small white-winged insects are related to aphids, at just 1 or 2 mm in length, and look very much like white moths as adults. They can be found on the underside of leaves, preferring younger, fresher leaves. They fly in clusters when you disturb them. Their lifecycle is only three weeks long, which means an infestation can occur very rapidly. Slugs An unmissable, squashy-looking body plus small sensory tentacles on its head. Slugs move along on one muscular foot. They range in scale from surprisingly small to terrifyingly large; limax cinereoniger species can grow comfortably beyond 20 cm in length. Cabbage Moth Caterpillar Cabbage moth caterpillars happily make their way into the heart of the vegetables, The caterpillars are distinguished in shades of yellow or browny green with no hair. Mealy Bug Mealybugs are tiny oval-shaped insects that have a white, powdery wax coating. There are several different species, many of which have what looks like legs coming from their sides and back end. In their earliest stage of life, it's entirely possible to mistake them for fungus and not recognise them as insects at all. Leatherjackets are legless grubs with tough, leathery skin. They are typically grey or brown in colour and can grow up to three cm in length. For those looking to take action to avoid maximum damage, Ben advised: "Prevention is easier than the cure for a leatherjacket infestation. 'Effective treatment comes in the form of microscopic bacterial worms, called nematodes, specifically 'Steinernema feltiae'. "Nematodes get rid of leatherjackets by infiltrating their outer casing and subsequently killing them. "Leatherjackets can cause considerable damage, and even after treatment, it can be challenging to restore your lawn to its former state. 'It can take your garden some time to return to its former glory." Additionally, Ben recommended: " Aerating your lawn can help improve drainage. To do this, simply create holes in the turf to allow it to breathe and encourage water to disperse.' Tips for keeping pests from your garden Plant companion plants such as peppermint to repel rats. Place Garden Netting Pest Barrier, over your flowerbeds. Fill open-top containers with beer and place in soil to repel slugs. Spray plants with Neem Oil, to repel ants, flies, and spiders. Dust your flowerbeds with Diatomaceous Earth. Mix 1 tablespoon dish soap, 10 drops peppermint oil, and 4 cups water and spray on flowerbeds. Place eggshells around your plants to protect from slugs and snails. Not only this, but Ben also acknowledged that heavily shaded gardens can also suffer, so removing thick branches of overhanging trees and bushes can help more sunlight reach the turf. Ben also stressed: "Some soils are better than others for drainage. For example, nutrient-dense clay soils can make gardens more prone to flooding. 'If you often see water pooling in your garden, investigate the type of soil so you know how to nurture the lawn correctly." Social media users react Charley's TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @ charleymaryy, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly gone viral and racked up 9.9 million views. Not only this, but it's also amassed 482,700 likes, 2,722 comments and 19,000 saves. Social media users were gobsmacked at the garden nightmare and many eagerly flocked to the comments to share their thoughts. Not only this, but other newbuild homeowners also confessed that they too have experienced the same issue with their grass. One person said: 'Reason why I would never buy a new build number 10287399.' Another added: 'We have the same. Heard it's a mixture of clay soil, lack of drainage, not enough topsoil, no vegetation and non stop rain.' Alongside shocked face emojis, a third simply commented: 'Brutal.' Meanwhile, another homeowner shared: 'The EXACT same thing has happened to all the gardens on my estate too.' Not only this, but someone else claimed: 'It seems like every new build has this problem.'
Forbes
3 days ago
- Science
- Forbes
Birds And Bats Provide Natural Pest Control To Vineyards
There are ways to grow food crops without poisoning the soil and landscape with chemical pesticides – by relying on the help of birds and bats! Vineyards and village church in Aszofoe at Lake Balaton, Hungary. Intensive agriculture increases food production but it also damages land through habitat loss, deforestation, and soil degradation. As farmers work to meet the needs of a rapidly growing – and hungry – human population, natural ecosystems such as forests and grasslands are converted into agricultural production and farmland, dramatically reducing biodiversity and ecosystem services. Vineyards – although not essential to feeding hungry humans – are economically and culturally important farmlands that are under threat from the attentions of numerous pests and diseases. Yet only a small number of vineyards are managed using sustainable practices. Further, climate change is enhancing the threat of arthropod pests and diseases, thanks to the increase in unusual weather patterns. Some vineyards respond to these threats by using more chemical pesticides to keep these pests under control. But outside of breeding pesticide-resistant arthropod pests, these methods don't work well in the long run and, in fact, these chemicals end up accumulating in the landscape and poisoning more than just wildlife and people: they actually accelerate climate change (more here). Meanwhile, vineyards can support diverse and abundant communities of arthropod-munching predators that deliver effective natural pest control services. Birds and bats, in particular, play a key role by consuming large quantities of insect and arthropod pests. But peculiarly, their contribution to biological pest control – especially in European permanent crops, such as vineyards – remains understudied. An international study was recently published that makes some progress towards understanding the contributions of birds and bats to natural arthropod control in vineyards. This study was conducted in Hungary, in the western part of the Transdanubian Mountains (Tapolca Basin and Balaton Uplands) and the southern part of the Little Hungarian Plain (Marcal Basin). To conduct this study, the research team selected 12 vineyards (which grow 10 grape varieties; one or two varieties per plantation), six with organic management, and another six with integrated pest management (IPM). IPM, also known as integrated pest control (IPC), uses both chemical and non-chemical methods for the control of pests. According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, the goal of IPM is to 'keep pesticides and other interventions to levels that are economically justified and reduce or minimize risks to human health and the environment. IPM emphasizes the growth of a healthy crop with the least possible disruption to agro-ecosystems and encourages natural pest control mechanisms' (ref). For IPM vineyards, limited chemical inputs are based on monitoring to maintain pest populations below crop injury levels (ref). In contrast to IPM vineyards, organic vineyards which, according to the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, only comprise 3.2% of all Hungarian vineyards (ref) were managed without any applications of herbicides, synthetic insecticides or fertilizers. These organic vineyards typically had smaller areas and yields, and supported a greater diversity of vegetation. F I G U R E 1 : (a) Spatial arrangement of plots, bat acoustic recorders, bird observation points ... More and pheromone traps within vineyards; (b) grape plants used for arthropod sampling and leaf herbivory, fruit damage and predation measurements within plots. The researchers classified the study vineyards as either 'forested' or 'non-forested' according to their composition and configuration within 500 and 1000 m radius buffers (Figure 1). At both spatial scales, forested landscapes had the highest share of deciduous forests and the greatest connectivity of forest patches, hedgerows, and large groups of trees, whereas non-forested landscapes had a relatively large proportion of arable lands and the greatest vineyard-forest distances. Altogether, the researchers identified three vineyard replications for each factor combination (i.e. organic and forested, organic and non-forested, IPM and forested, IPM and non-forested). The distance between study vineyards was between 1 and 38 km (Figure 1). The researcher team used exclosures in study vineyards to investigate the effect of birds and bats on arthropod pests affecting ecosystem functions and crop yield considering the local management schemes and contrasting landscape heterogeneity of the vineyards. Grapevines inside a cage used for the exclusion of birds and bats. (Credit: Dávid Korányi) The team also collected abundance data of the European grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana, a key grape pest, alongside insects that feed on plants and predatory arthropods in the grapevine canopy, and quantified fruit and leaf damage and other sorts of damages associated with these groups. Grapevine moth (Lobesia botrana) specimens caught with a pheromone trap. (Credit: Dávid Korányi) As you might expect, vineyards located near forested landscapes had greater bird and bat activity in spring. Although management practices had no measurable effect on the numbers of birds and bats, organic vineyards hosted more canopy-dwelling arthropods and faced greater leaf herbivory – although there was higher predation pressure on caterpillars in organic vineyards. Did birds and bats reduce fruit damage? Yes: the fruits and leaves on the vines grown in the exclusion treatments consistently showed higher damages, highlighting the ecological and economic value of birds and bats as natural pest control agents. The numbers and diversity of insectivorous birds and bats were greater in vineyards located close to forested areas. 'The presence of these predators can be promoted by maintaining connected landscapes with native deciduous forest patches, hedgerows, and small groups of trees that offer abundant food sources and suitable nesting or roosting sites,' the study's lead author, landscape ecologist Dávid Korányi, said in a statement. Dr Korányi is a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Ecological Research at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The study also underscores the importance of local vineyard management in pest control, particularly when the vineyard is organic, since such practices support both beneficial arthropods and natural pest predation in vineyards. Eurasian hoopoe (Upupa epops) is a widespread bird that can be found throughout Europe, Asia, North ... More Africa and northern Sub-Saharan Africa. This bird feeds mainly on arthropods and their larvae. (Credit: Artemy Voikhansky / CC BY-SA) Source: Dávid Korányi, Sándor Zsebők, András Báldi, Mattia Brambilla, Máté Varga, and Péter Batáry (2025). Forest cover enhances pest control by birds and bats independently of vineyard management intensity, Journal of Applied Ecology | doi:10.1111/1365-2664.70094 NOTE: questions emailed to the study's lead author, Dávid Korányi, were not unanswered. © Copyright by GrrlScientist | hosted by Forbes | Socials: Bluesky | CounterSocial | LinkedIn | Mastodon Science | MeWe | Spoutible | SubStack | Threads | Tumblr | Twitter
