Hello,
I am an entomologist that stumbled across this page and decided to join. I work with greenhouse, landscape, interiorscape and nursery production. I lecture and teach educational classes on pest management. I specialize in biological control and IPM. I am hoping I can help answer some of the insect questions posted and provide correct information because there is a lot of bad info on the net about pest control.

CHIRPS!!

Hello BugLady
You have my attention right away!!
I'd like to Welcome you to The Garden Helpers Forum, I'd like to let you know we have a little bit of everything here from Master Gardeners to brand~new beginners and everything in between,
we know you'll fit in very nicely....
We have a grand group of gardeners here, all helpful, and fun and the love of gardening abounds here...And we love to get and give information here!!!
We have a lot of new sections we've added, like recipes, and crafts, and hobbies, and banter hall for chatting, and games to keep us gardening addicts busy with something to do in the winter months... join in the fun, post away, answer a question or two or three or four or five,
my motto is, "It only takes one gardener to know the answer and that one gardener may be YOU"
Join the fun, ask all the questions you have or need to.....from us to get you started..........

We have several gardening members from your area, Barb H, Carol and a few others too,
I'm close to there too, about 90 minutes North of Pa, and 50 miles South of Buffalo....

Weezie

Well, thank you! Do you all get together for activities? Like going to the Philly flower show?

I am also a member of the local herb society and love to cook. I am doing some work this year with Penn State and insect degree days. I am interested mostly in tracing the weather and when beneficial insects emerge. Also looking forward to doing some work on attracting in native beneficial with using heirloom herbs.

Chirps!!
bugladyconsulting

Buglady,
You asked, I wish!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are all spread out across the world here, from Wa., N.Y., Calif., Ma., Ga., Tx. and Canada, to "Acrossed the Pond"... an a few others' as well.

Carol5270 is a Penn State MG there.... haven't talked to her in a bit, but I"m sure she'll be glad to hear of a fellow neighbor joining!!!

We have a little section we started here with some recipes, and we started an HERB section too, Njoynit's been helping us out with alot of lotions, tincture's etc.. Maybe you could add some things too!!!!

We have a post here we've all been adding to as well with the weather conditions around the states, and Canada.....
We love beneficial bugs, so tell us lot's of good info...
And Phil (of Phil and Laura) is into Heirloom seeds, so you may alot to discuss as well......
So, you'll have alot to talk about here!!!

Weezie

Welcome! Most of us here enjoy bugs (the good ones!!)...I even have a stowaway worm in a potted plant that I brought in of the winter!

Join in lots!

Sarah

I love worms too, well really nematodes. I have done a lot of work threw the years with them and I think they have a lot of potential to control many pests..

and yes my dogs rule my life

Hi BUGLADY ! Welcome aboard, I do have a topic for you, I will get it posted by the weekend! Again, welcome and enjoy all the fine features and fun we have here

hi buglady i am one of the novices here, although some might disagree with me on that statement. i am one of the "organic" gardeners by default, mostly 'cause I am too lazy to want to worry about how this or that chemical will affect my life down the road, let alone today! i control the bugs in my house by encouraging the garden spiders and anoles and tree frogs to hang out around my house. as for the bugs outside, so far none of my plants have been bothered too much... so we'll see. it is great to have you on board, and like others have said, join in when and where you can and will. we are one if not the friendliest groups on the web.

oh, and i got to meet another member the other day, and it was great!

Sounds like you are somewhere in the south. Maybe FL? I grew up in FL and worked in the green industry for many years there. I am now in the snowy north trying to find the bugs under the ice. But I am off to an Organic tradeshow in TX this week and hoping it is warm there!!!

hey buglady, no i am not in florida (anymore) i used to live in pensacola, but now i am in georgia, about 30 miles northwest of savannah. where in pa are you? also, if you look at the bottom of the posts, it will tell you where the poster is located, if they put it in their profile.

Well, it sure does.. Guess I need to read the fine print.
I live north west of Allentown, PA. Where no one can find me I am loving the quiet life here, very different from south FL. But I am still close enough to the airport that I can hop on a plane and get to all the shows and conferences.

Hi Buglady,

Glad u joined!
There is something bugging me....

Ummmm, JUST KIDDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I couldn't resist...

We do need some expertise on here ...
Weezie is making pets out of Japanese Beetles, and i'm decimating the squirrel population...
Domestic dogs might be next on my list...

I love squirrels . I feed them everyday. And nothing wrong with keeping insects as pets I have has pet black widows, all kinds of scorpions, praying mantis, mice, grubs, ants .. Need I go on?

But I have become very interested Japanese beetles and the grub complexes in the soil. Surprisingly most grubs are not Japanese beetles, but other scarab beetle larva. But you can help control them with beneficial nematodes. I just gave a lecture on grub management in the landscape in VA last week.

and good luck with your pet lice

Bob,
Did you see how big my eyeballs got???

We both would love to hear about the
Japanese beetles...
Bob likes chemicals, I like to clip their
heads off (or the soapy water)

I think we'd both like something in the middle.
NO CHEMICALS< but not so time consuming..

any ideas???

Weezie

Well, I don't have a lot of time tonight to go into detail because I am scrambling for stuff to take to the trade show in TX. My booth is trapped in NC from the ice storm so I am trying to "make one" to go with me in case real booth does not make it.

Simple version, treat with beneficial nematodes in the fall to prevent the adults from emerging in the spring. Timing of application depends on where you are (but usually around Sept). Nematode species also depend on where you are. I will go into more detail later.

I always buy my nematodes from the nematodary

Hey bug lady!
You were here first but I welcome you regardless. I know relitivly nothing about bugs but I love them too! I constantly have to save them from family members and put them out side. Also I think were pretty ignorent to call them bugs when theirs almost nothing they don't like, they're every where on almost every thing! I think were just jellous that were not of such sound mind.
One question I have is I've been seeing these flys lately(just last night I saw one actually)at first I thought they were fruit flys but they started getting bigger and I thought maby my dog was getting fleas. It seemed strange though that they were around the plants and I've now seen them up close so I don't know what they are . If you know what they most probably are will they hurt the plants or will they plant eggs that hurt the plants.
Thanks and welcome again!

Welcome to The Garden Helper Apples!!!

Not sure but if they are around your houseplants they are probably fungus gnats....do a forum search here and there are quite a few postings on how to get rid of them!

Can you give us any more info about there size, description, habits, indoors etc????

Hello,
Sorry to so long to get back to you but I made it safe back from TX. Whohooo!

Anyhow to the "fly"

Once a fly emerges from its pupal case it does not "grow" when you see a fly that is the size that it will stay.

Possible ideas?
Fungus gnats, they look like tiny mosquitoes. Here is a link to some info on my website fungus gnats These guys compete their life cycle in the soil of plants but are very small. These are easy to control with beneficial nematodes. the nematodary

It also might be a shore fly, they look like tiny house flies. See link above for info on them.

another option is a cluster fly. These are actually parasites of earthworms that over winter in the walls of your house. A few may come out at a time threw out the winter. They don't hurt anything just ugly to look at.

Its hard to diagnose with out more information

Hope this helps.

Lets go on a trip!!!! Ever since I found this place, I've been itching to get outside to the garden. Its under too much snow,tho.

When is the Philly flower show? We have a few trips coming up. I hope we aren't gone for it! I've never been to the show. Wanted to go last year, but the hubby had to work late hours the entire week and couldn't get off.

Keep me posted about the Phily flower show. I am a member so I go each year. I cannot go on Thursday because I will be lecturing at a sister conference for Penn State. I am teaching a plant diagnostic lab. The Friday I have to fly out to Las Vegas. But earlier in the week I can go or if you go to Longwood let me know. I have been there before to lecture. It seems that is the only way I get anywhere is to lecture. Also a friend of mine is the IPM coordinator at Longwood so I am sure we could see some cool bug stuff!!

Chirps!
Suzanne

Chirps!
Suzanne

Hi everyone. I'm getting homesick for Philadelphia and the Flower Show. Listening to all of you talk about it makes me want to go back up North (I'm in Florida now). Buglady, I visited Longwood Gardens last Christmas - what a wonderful place! Can't wait for Spring!

ok. this is scary.. my name is suzanne, and i was from FL and live in pa now....