Your home outside the city limits.
Japanese beetle season is here! Defoliated plants – in some cases entire trees - look horrible and no matter what you do they seem to keep coming. So, what’s the best strategy for managing them? Below are some tips to help minimize damage in your landscape. But first - realize that when Japanese beetles first come... Continue Reading →
If your landscape has a history of bagworm problems, it’s time to start looking for them. Nebraska Extension entomologist Jonathan Larson says “Bagworms are some of the best architects in the insect world. These caterpillars take materials from the plants they live in and construct a tough bag to dwell in as they grow.” The insects and... Continue Reading →
One of the most easily recognized insects in the home landscape is the white grub. Almost every gardener has seen white grub larvae in the soil, while installing new plants or tilling the vegetable garden. The term "white grub" actually encompasses the larval stage of several scarab beetles, the most common, and most damaging, being... Continue Reading →
During the busy summer season, our best spring intentions can fall by the wayside. Weeds creep into carefully planted flower beds, trees and shrubs go un-pruned, and fruit trees don’t get sprayed- all for lack of time. Does a beautiful landscape always require hours of intensive care to achieve and maintain? Of course, some maintenance is a must,... Continue Reading →
Do you like to mow, fertilize and control pests in your lawn? Some of us do, some don’t.
Warm temperatures in April have had many homeowners wondering about this year’s first spring preemergence (PRE) herbicide application. When is the right time to apply in spring? If you've waited, that's good - but it's almost time. PRE Herbicide Residual Pre herbicides act by killing newly germinated weed seedlings, which come in contact with the... Continue Reading →
Caring for a lawn and landscape is a lot of work! Mowing, fertilization, seeding and weed control in a lawn, along with planting, pruning and pest management in trees and landscape areas requires more time than many homeowners have available or the equipment to accomplish. Plus, the identification of weeds and pests often needs a professional’s... Continue Reading →
In early winter, pollinators are often the last thing we expect to see in the landscape. But as the days start to warm our native bees and moths come out and stretch their wings. On days over 40°F many species of bees, moths and wasps emerge from their winter homes ready to forage. Flowers can... Continue Reading →
As we shiver through winter’s freezing temperatures and heavy snow, many gardeners hope the severe weather translates to fewer garden insects in the coming growing season. But, unfortunately, insects have evolved many coping mechanisms enabling them to tolerate winter conditions just fine. Most commonly each insect species overwinters in a specific developmental stage – egg, larva,... Continue Reading →
Sometimes insects mistake our homes for a place they are welcome to spend the winter. If you encounter any of these wintertime bothers, what should you? Check out the infographic below for more information!
From time to time, you’ll see Acreage Life blog posts that mention various tools and equipment that you may not heard of, have never taken the time to buy, or wish that someone else would buy for you.
When discussing beneficial critters, it’s easy to forget about the ones we don’t see, especially those below ground. Yet the soil is where it all starts, so they deserve recognition and admiration too. From cycling and retaining nutrients to improving structure, suppressing disease and moving and holding water, air and carbon, soil fauna do an... Continue Reading →
