Pests & Weeds Archives - Page 3 of 23 - Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com

Save the grapes & other crops from spotted lanternflies in WNY

by Connie Oswald Stofko I hope you’ve been keeping your eyes open for the invasive spotted lanternfly. In July, a spotted lanternfly was found in West Seneca, but it was dead. Then in September, more than 100 live spotted lanternflies were found in Buffalo. Not only can it damage garden plants, the spotted lanternfly (SLF) can wreak havoc on vineyards. “SLF can have a devastating impact on vineyards, as we’ve seen in neighboring states, so we need everyone’s help to…...

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Oct 18, 2022

squirrel holding tulip bulb copyright Stofko

Protect your flower bulbs from squirrels in Western New York

by Connie Oswald Stofko “I’ve planted bulbs, gone into the house, and the squirrels come back ten minutes later to steal my bulbs,” said Patti Jablonski-Dopkin, general manager at Urban Roots Cooperative Garden Market. “They’re viscous little things!” Jablonski-Dopkin offers tips for keeping squirrels away from your newly planted bulbs. You still have plenty of time to buy and plant bulbs. In Western New York, plant bulbs in October or November. The soil should be cool, about 55 degrees Fahrenheit. In…...

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Sep 27, 2022

Update on box tree moth & more from WNY Gardening Matters

The box tree moth (BTM) was discovered in traps in Niagara County in July 2021, so everyone in Western New York has to be on the look out, said Lyn Chimera in the article Box Tree Moth: A New Invasive to Watch For. That article is part of WNY Gardening Matters, produced by the Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Erie County. The BTM damages boxwood as well as euonymus and holly (Ilex species). The US Department of Agriculture (USDA)…...

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Aug 23, 2022

Beech leaf disease found in all of Western New York; report affected trees

Beech leaf disease (BLD), which affects all species of beech trees, has been identified in in all eight counties of Western New York. DEC is asking the public to submit reports through NYimapInvasives if they encounter a beech tree showing signs of BLD. The main symptom to look for on beech foliage is darkened striping between the veins, which is best seen when looking up through the canopy. Leaves with severe symptoms can be heavily banded and crinkled, with a thickened leathery…...

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Aug 9, 2022

Whiteflies in your WNY garden? Don’t worry

by Connie Oswald Stofko Here’s a message I got from a reader: Hi Connie, Would you consider adding the tiny whitefly infestation and organic solutions to rid garden of them in your next newsletter? In the garden, they are everywhere, likely thirsty! Wishing for rain tonight! Thank you, Brigitte Wagner-Ott, Eggertsville I didn’t even know what whiteflies were, and since Wagner-Ott lives down the street from me, I figured I should find out more. She saw something online, but wanted information…...

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Aug 2, 2022

Pool owners & others: look for invasive beetle in WNY

The bad news is that the invasive Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) was found in six areas in the New York City region beginning in 1996. The good news is that it was eradicated in four of those areas! The ALB hasn’t been identified in Western New York yet. But if it arrives here, we want to find it early so we can eradicate it before it damages trees. This invasive beetle attacks and kills maples, birches, willows and other hardwoods,…...

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Jul 26, 2022

Help remove invasive grass in West Seneca

Volunteers are needed to help WNY PRISM remove Japanese stiltgrass, a high priority, early detection invasive species, from areas in West Seneca. Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) was recently found in parts of Western New York. It is an annual, short grass that quickly spreads to form extensive mats that harm native plants and plant communities. It can also alter soil nutrient cycling processes, facilitate erosion, inhibit tree survival and growth, and reduce habitat and forage for wildlife. The plant is simple to…...

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Jul 19, 2022

spotted lanternfly nymphs courtesy Brian Eshenaur

Watch for spotted lanternfly in WNY; one found in West Seneca

by Connie Oswald Stofko The bad news is that a spotted lanternfly (SLF), an invasive insect, was reported last week in West Seneca. The good news is that the specimen that was found was dead. More good news is that Western New York probably doesn’t have an established spotted lanternfly population yet. There are two things that point to that conclusion. First, the specimen that was found was an adult, and it’s too early in the year to find an…...

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Jul 12, 2022

Hairy bittercress & more in WNY Gardening Matters

Hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) is a weed you may see at this time of year, said Carol Ann Harlos in WNY Gardening Matters, produced by the Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Erie County. This plant and other ephemeral spring weeds pop up when the earth warms, quickly bloom and produce seeds. When the seeds are ripe, they shoot out and wait until autumn to germinate and grow. Depending on the conditions, several generations of plants can occur before…...

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Jun 28, 2022

eastern cicada killer compared to Asian giant hornet

Reminder: No murder hornets in WNY; how to identify lookalikes

by Connie Oswald Stofko “We do not have Asian giant hornets (also known as murder hornets) anywhere in Western New York,” said Sharon Bachman, Agriculture & Natural Resources Educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension in Erie County. We ran an article about murder hornets in October 2021. We didn’t have any in Western New York then and we still don’t have any. I keep hearing from people who think they have spotted murder hornets–or even insist that what they encountered was…...

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Jun 7, 2022