July 15, 2020
As you trim the wild edges of your property this summer, you might want to be careful of which weeds you whack. Few plants are as valuable to North American conservation as the common milkweed.
July 14, 2020
Ticks, Lyme disease, other tick-borne diseases and Pennsylvania’s No. 1 position in all of that will be explained in detail in a free, 10-part webinar series from Penn State Extension that begins Thursday, July 9, with weekly installments scheduled through September 17.
July 14, 2020
Asian giant hornets, which picked up the name “murder hornets” when they made headlines across the U.S. earlier this year, are probably less imposing that previously reported, according to a Penn State expert in insects.
July 14, 2020
A study of bees found in Pennsylvania has uncovered 49 species never before recorded in the state.
July 14, 2020
Allegheny County could be overrun with the beautiful but disgusting spotted lanternfly within two years if the public doesn’t find and report them this year, according to a Penn State researcher.
July 14, 2020
Spotted lanternflies damaged more than a quarter of Pennsylvania’s vineyards last year, and the persistent pest isn’t showing any sign of retreat this year.
July 14, 2020
Penn State scientists have found new ways to track the spotted lanternfly and slow the spread of the plant damaging insect.
July 13, 2020
A grant of more than $1 million from the National Science Foundation will support a researcher in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences in a study of mechanisms that induce sterility in social insects. Etya Amsalem, assistant professor of entomology, received the award from the prestigious NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program.
July 10, 2020
In recent years, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) activities have become popular workshops for children to increase an interest in STEM careers later in life. These activities are particularly important for female, underrepresented, and underserved populations to show that they are welcome in these types of environments. However, the pandemic has thrown a wrench into hands-on, in person activities.
July 10, 2020
Over time goldenrod plants and the gall flies that feed on them have been one-upping each other in an ongoing competition for survival. Now, a team of researchers has discovered that by detecting the plants’ chemical defenses, the insects may have taken the lead.
July 9, 2020
Over time goldenrod plants and the gall flies that feed on them have been one-upping each other in an ongoing competition for survival. Now, a team of researchers has discovered that by detecting the plants’ chemical defenses, the insects may have taken the lead.
July 7, 2020
Pollination by animals is essential for both agricultural and natural ecosystems. While honey bees provide the majority of managed pollination services, in this webinar the focus was on a different species of managed bees.
July 7, 2020
Thanks to a $1 million gift from an anonymous donor, the College of Agricultural Sciences and the Department of Entomology have established the Publius Vergilius Maro Professorship.
July 2, 2020
Bug of the Month is a student–run monthly post which highlights the diversity of insects found in Pennsylvania.
July 2, 2020
Greetings, once again, from the Beescape Team! This is another entry in our monthly updates from us here at Beescape!
July 1, 2020
In mid-June, Florida’s department of agriculture and consumer services approved a plan to release millions of genetically modified mosquitoes into the wild. The idea is that, when released, these mosquitoes will venture out and mate with wild mosquitoes in the area, and due to their genetic modifications, produce offspring that never fully mature — thereby reducing the mosquito population over time.
June 30, 2020
“The healthiest soil is the soil that has never been disturbed.” That sentiment was made at the Pennsylvania Farm Show last January by a former state Agriculture Department official who advocates for no till practices.
June 30, 2020
A study documenting bees that are reported to occur in Pennsylvania has found the presence of 437 species, including 49 never before recorded in the state. Researchers said the resulting checklist of bees in the commonwealth also identifies species not native to North America and several native species that may be of conservation concern.
June 30, 2020
Inside this issue: Pollinator Garden of Merit, Outstanding Pollinator Plants, Protecting Pollinators and Pollinator Garden FAQs
June 30, 2020
Animal mediated pollination supports nearly 90% of plant species. Animals also gain nutritional benefits from this process. Bees collect pollen from flowering plants to feed to their offspring, and thus bee and flowering plant species have coevolved to benefit both species involved.
June 29, 2020
Bug of the Month is a student–run monthly post which highlights the diversity of insects found in Pennsylvania.
June 29, 2020
A study documenting bees that are reported to occur in Pennsylvania has found the presence of 437 species, including 49 never before recorded in the state.
June 29, 2020
As summer progresses — and spotted lanternflies make themselves at home just about anywhere, including on residential properties — frustrated homeowners might find themselves wrestling with the idea of using insecticides to vanquish the insect interlopers.
June 29, 2020
An innovative project is creating a buzz around Penn State’s University Park campus, especially among the many species of pollinators that call Centre County home.
June 29, 2020
Viral TikTok videos dubbed the ''Strawberry Challenge’’ have some consumers squirming.
June 29, 2020
The spotted lanternfly (SLF) is an invasive insect that feeds on grapevines and trees. There are a variety of options for SLF management, but one way to kill a lot of SLF without using insecticides is to trap them. The immature lanternflies (called nymphs) are often blown out of the canopy of the trees where they are feeding. Nymphs then walk to the trunk of trees and climb back up to start feeding again. We can take advantage of this predictable behavior of the nymphs by using traps to catch them as they climb up trees.
June 29, 2020
In introducing the speaker for the first ASEV webinar on invasive pests on June 3, moderator Michelle Moyer, a board member of the American Society for Enology and Viticulture and associate professor of viticulture and extension specialist at Washington State University, commented that grape growers on the East Coast are very concerned about the problems presented by the spotted lanternfly (SLF) and that those on the West Coast should be. She then introduced the webinar presenter, Heather Leach, extension associate in entomology at Penn State’s College of Agriculture Sciences, who focuses specifically on the SLF.
June 29, 2020
If there was one good thing about farmers delaying planting this year, it created less of a buffet for pesky slugs to feed on emerging corn and soybeans.
June 26, 2020
A printable checklist developed by Penn State Extension and the state Department of Agriculture can help citizens tick all the boxes when it comes to preventing the spread of the spotted lanternfly, an invasive insect that is threatening the agricultural, timber and ornamental industries.
June 25, 2020
An innovative project is creating a buzz around Penn State’s University Park campus, especially among the many species of pollinators that call Centre County home.
