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Sugarcane Mosaic Virus

June 22, 2022
Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) is a virus of great concern for turfgrass aficionados. This past Winter, a local landscaper and I observed mottled, discolored turfgrass in an HOA located in Naples. We submitted samples of the turf to the molecular scientists at UF/IFAS turfgrass diagnostic services, and received a reports confirming that SCMV is culprit. So…

Whitefly, and Other June Pests in Jacksonville Gardens

June 20, 2022
Whitefly – under the leavesAs we round into June, the pest season heats up. Insects, being cold blooded, respond to the warming temperatures by growing rapidly through their life cycles. Whiteflies are a good example of this. These small pests take about 24 days to go through their immature stages and can live (and reproduce)…

Prickly pears – pain and delight

June 20, 2022
Prickly Pear Cactus – Structurally OrnamentalDid you know that we have a native prickly pear cactus here in Florida?  This low-growing species has attractive yellow flowers and forms a spreading clump.   Prickly pears or Opuntia, such as our native prickly pear, are classic cacti found native to the New World.  In addition to cultivated ornamental…

Have a Hydrated Summer!

June 17, 2022
STOP! Before you keep reading, take a big sip or a couple of sips of water……… Awesome job! Your organs thank you! Hydration- We all know it’s important for life but it can be a real challenge to stay on top of it, especially in the Florida heat and humidity. Proper hydration can prevent some…

Invasive plants can threaten native species by changing seasonal animal behavior

June 16, 2022
Invasive plants don’t just outcompete native plants but can also change animal behavior in ways that disadvantage native plants as well. Invasive cogongrass is a problem in longleaf pine ecosystems. A new study found that when cogongrass invaded longleaf pine ecosystems, cotton rats consumed more of the trees’ seeds than they did in areas without cogongrass. The study found…

Everything you need to know about One Health

June 16, 2022
Last March, the  United Nations Environment Programme  (UNEP) joined the  Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations  (FAO), the  World Health Organization  (WHO), and the  World Organization for Animal Health  (OIE) to constitute the  Quadripartite alliance for One Health  (see the  previous blog post  on this event). Shortly after, they issued a  new definition…

Lead in Drinking Water

June 15, 2022
Lead contamination poses a serious threat to drinking water safety. Both U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) agree that Lead is harmful to health, especially for children. There is no known safe level of lead in a child’s blood. Taking action to reduce these exposures can improve…

Common Wetland Types Found in Florida

June 15, 2022
Common wetland types found in Florida include: Descriptions of wetland types: Deep (salt) marsh Cypress dome Wet prairie Hydric hammock Hardwood swamp (bottomland) Cypress wetland Open water Shallow marsh Bayhead All wetland type description are taken from the Florida Natural Areas Inventory The illustration comes from an out of print publication by Lake County…

I smell a sweet almond in your future!

June 14, 2022
What the sweet almond bush lacks in shape and foliage, is more than made up in aroma While many of our landscape plants are visually appealing with colorful foliage and flowers, there is another dimension to explore – aroma.  One of the best plants to help with this is the sweet almond bush.  This somewhat new…

Bluefish of the Florida Panhandle

June 13, 2022
“Bluefish!” … “It’s just a school of bluefish!”  So yelled the lifeguard in Jaws II when Chief Brody mistaken a school of bluefish for the rogue great white shark that was plaguing the town.  He would not have been the first to mistake these large schools for a larger fish, particularly a predatory shark, but…

My Internship Shadowing Experience: Nighttime Sea Turtle Walk

June 11, 2022
 My Internship Shadowing Experience: Nighttime Sea Turtle Walk  Blog written by Sean MacWilliam, UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County Summer 2022 Intern. Photo courtesy of Sean MacWilliam.My Background My name is Sean MacWilliam and I was born and raised in coastal SE Florida. I am currently a senior at the University of Florida studying Forest Resources…
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