Come join the Pesticide Education Team at the Great Insect Fair on Saturday, September 12, at the Ag Arena across from Beaver Stadium. There will be lots of activities and great food. Admission is free. For more info: buff.ly/pncotz4

Please come out to Ag Progress Days to see the Pesticide Education Team booth located in the Family Room. We will be talking about pesticide safety, storage, and playing an identification game with guests. So stop by and see us!

New World screwworm flies were detected in TX on June 3, with more detections on June 5, 7, and 8. Once a major pest across the southern U.S., they were eradicated from North America in the 60s. They are unlikely to appear in Pennsylvania. Learn more at screwworm.gov.

June is Pollinator Month! Pollinators play a vital role in our environment and food supply. Bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, birds, and other pollinators help reproduce more than 75% of flowering plants and many of the crops we rely on every day.

As summer temperatures rise, consider raising your mower height. Taller grass helps shade the soil, reduce moisture loss, and encourage deeper root growth, making your lawn more resilient during hot, dry weather. Note: never remove more than one-third of the grass at a time.

Warm temperatures and changing weather mean it's time to consider spray drift. Before every pesticide application, check wind speed and direction, watch for temperature inversions, use the correct nozzle setup, and maintain buffer zones.

Spring is here 🌱 Before your first application, calibrate your sprayers and spreaders. Proper calibration means better coverage, less waste, and protecting both your wallet and the environment. buff.ly/SdeP1RM buff.ly/8d58Gfs buff.ly/m4RRiJ6

Spring is here and it is time for pre-emergent crabgrass control. Using forsythia as a guide, you have till the last yellow flower falls from forsythia bushes to get your pre-emergent down in time to be effective. Follow the label directions for post app irrigation instructions.

February 23-27 is National Invasive Species Awareness Week. Keep an eye out for invasive species programs offered by agencies like the National Park Service or the National Fish and Wildlife Service. For more information: buff.ly/nl1Y7fb

February is National Pesticide Safety Education Month. Most pesticide poisonings can be avoided by following instructions on pesticide labels and keeping pesticides – and other toxic materials – out of reach of children. For more information: buff.ly/fwfvWe0

Some insects can live and breed in dry food material like flour, cookies, crackers, or pet food. If tiny beetles or moths appear indoors during the winter, then scour the pantry for infested materials and throw them away.

While many outdoor pests are on hiatus under the snow, indoor pests like bed bugs remain active and troublesome year-round. Some, such as bed bugs and German cockroaches, are best managed by professionals. For more information: buff.ly/OidhTD6

February is National Pesticide Safety Education Month. For more information: Pesticide Environmental Stewardship buff.ly/2typd8N National Pesticide Safety Education Month buff.ly/2typd8N

While most bugs are firmly hunkered down for winter, ticks will emerge and hunt for hosts any time the temperature is above freezing. If you spend time in the woods during the winter, remember to check your body for ticks if it was a warm or sunny day.

While many insects go dormant in winter, wood boring beetles can continue slowly chomping through your home. Call a pest control company if you find tiny holes and fine powder or sawdust in furniture or structural timber. Find more info here: buff.ly/lVyLBop

Mice and rats looking for warmer places will move into buildings if they can. Mice can squeeze into cracks 1/4 inch wide and rats into an opening half inch wide. Keep them out by closing up gaps under doors and other openings. More info here: buff.ly/bVTLKKZ

Just in time for Halloween, a deadly fungus infects a house fly, causing it to grip its perch and die. Fungal spores then erupt from its back, raining down zombifying spores. Watch the action: buff.ly/SLzedw6

Cleaning up leaves from you lawn is an important task in the fall of the year. Fallen leaves can smother your lawn and fuel fires. Rake them up to keep grass healthy and reduce fire risk-especially near buildings or wooded areas.

After a hot, dry PA summer, your lawn’s probably begging for help. September can be the perfect time to overseed, aerate & feed it back to life. Cooler temps + fall rains = prime recovery season. Let’s get that green back.