News Stories - Page 28

Abnormally dry conditions this summer have kept Georgia's mosquito populations mercifully low, but that's no reason for Georgians to let down their guard, especially this season. CAES News
'Skeeter' Season
Mosquito activity this spring has been nearly as erratic as Georgia’s weather. In the wake of the recent rainfall, homeowners should eliminate any standing water left behind, which makes perfect mosquito habitats.
San Jose scale is a sucking insect pest which damages fruit, like this peach, and can eventually kill a tree by injecting toxins. CAES News
Peach Pest
Using horticultural oil sprays as an integrated pest management strategy to control San Jose scale in peach trees can be an effective alternative to chemical applications, and a University of Georgia study finds that the best control comes after trees have been pruned, allowing for lower application rates than previously recommended.
While bee populations have been declining for the past several decades, urban beekeeping and public awareness of pollinators are on the rise. CAES News
Pollinator Census
In three months, an army of citizen scientists across the state will undertake a first-of-its-kind pollinator count across Georgia. To prepare for the Great Georgia Pollinator Census this August, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension is offering a few summer reading suggestions for citizen scientists of all ages.
Terrell County's Georgia 4-H Food Product Development team won first place in this year's Food Product Development Contest with their take on kompot, a Slavic fruit drink. Georgia 4-H's Courtney Brown and Associate Professor Anand Mohan congratulates team members Sebastian Shattles, Hannah Grubbs, Janya Scott and Larry Hall. CAES News
Kompot Creation
Most Americans may not know what kompot is, but if Terrell County’s 4-H Food Development Team has anything to say about it, that may soon change.
Beekeeper and bees at the UGA Bee Laboratory on the university's Horticulture Research Farm in Watkinsville, Georgia. CAES News
Bee Institute
The national push to save pollinating insects has brought the plight of the honeybee and the art of beekeeping to the forefront. Those interested in becoming a beekeeper, as well as established beekeepers who need certification, can learn the latest research-based information at the annual Beekeeping Institute, May 22-25, at Young Harris College in Young Harris, Georgia.
A group of black flies CAES News
Black Flies
One of the best things about living above the fall line in Georgia has always been the lack of gnat swarms, but that seems to have changed this spring.