News Filed Under Insects
As warmer weather lures us outside for yardwork, hiking, and family picnics, it’s important to stay alert for ticks.As warmer weather lures us outside for yardwork, hiking, and family picnics, it’s important to stay alert for ticks.As warmer weather lures us outside for yardwork, hiking, and family picnics, it’s important to stay alert for ticks.
Itch, itch. Scratch, scratch! Mosquito season is alive and well here in Mississippi. These insects are most active when the temperatures are above 50°F, meaning they’re here in the South for a good chunk of the year.
PICAYUNE, Miss. -- Photographers from Mississippi and across the globe can display their talent in a photo competition that introduces Bugfest 2025 – BeetleMania! The competition kicks off The Crosby Arboretum’s 23rd annual September celebration of insects and arthropods and their ecological value. This year’s fest will highlight beetles.
What’s that itch? Chiggers, also known as redbugs, are tiny mites that can cause significant discomfort during the warmer months in Mississippi. Here's how to lessen your chances of coming into contact with these critters and some tips if you do.
If you grow your own vegetables, you will likely see at least a few pesky insects that want to feed on your plants. Slugs are one of the pests you may be noticing now.
Mississippi’s native subterranean termites have started swarming, and these structure-destroying insects will continue to swarm across the state over the next few months.
John Riggins, professor of forest entomology in the Mississippi State University Department of Agricultural Science and Plant Protection, said termites swarm to produce new colonies when the weather warms up, often after a rain.
STONEVILLE, Miss. -- After harvest each year, university research and Extension entomologists from across the Cotton Belt states collect and submit data regarding cotton crop losses from insects.
It’s spooky season, and there’s nothing as spooky to some people as a creepy-crawly spider! Many people have arachnophobia, or the fear of spiders.
Termites exist all over Mississippi and will eventually infest and damage any structure that contains wood or other cellulose components unless you properly protect those structures.
PICAYUNE, Miss. -- School groups, nature enthusiasts and the public can enjoy two fun-filled days of celebrating the environment, ecosystems, wildlife and insects at the Mississippi State University Crosby Arboretum in Picayune. BugFest is set for Sept. 20 and 21. The event offers insect-related displays, interactive exhibits, games and crafts. Biologists, naturalists, entomologists and other experts from Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama will host booths and give presentations on butterflies, bats, caterpillars, pollinators, spiders, crayfish, native plants, native and exotic arthropods and more.
PICAYUNE, Miss. -- Wildlife photographers of all ages and skill levels have a venue to showcase their camera eye in an insect photo competition.
The Crosby Arboretum BugFest Photo Competition is accepting entries until Sept. 14 for photos of arthropods. These include centipedes, millipedes, insects, spiders and scorpions on land and barnacles, crabs, crayfish, lobsters and shrimp in water. The contest also includes a “Best of Show” dragonfly photo award. To register, visit msuext.ms/24bugfest.
Mississippi’s ideal growing season means gardens can yield a lot of produce, but this usually comes with the help of pesticides to combat insects and diseases.
It is vital that home gardeners know how much time must elapse between application of the product and when the food is harvested, a time frame known as the pre-harvest interval, or PHI.
Sunshine and long days make summertime in the South desirable for people, but those same conditions are exactly what allows the dreaded, imported fire ants to thrive.
Almost any sunny, grassy area left unattended will soon be home to fire ants. Fire ants were accidentally imported from South America to Mobile in the 1930s and have since spread throughout the Southeast.
Invasive Formosan subterranean termites were first found in the state 40 years ago, and soon, these dangerous pests will swarm and threaten unprotected structures in about one-third of Mississippi’s counties.
Santos Portugal, Mississippi State University Extension Service urban entomologist, said Formosan termites typically swarm in the millions from early May to early June. They have the ability to infest and significantly damage structures much more quickly than native subterranean termites.
The South’s natural background music of the summer will start as soon as cicadas, known for their loud songs, emerge across parts of the state.
Blake Layton, entomologist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said Mississippi is home to at least 24 types of cicadas. These are classified as either annual or periodical cicadas.
House and building owners must be on high alert each spring as structures face dangerous attacks by swarms of both native and introduced termite species.
Native, subterranean termite species have started swarming in late February in South Mississippi to early March in more northern areas. The non-native, invasive and very damaging Formosan subterranean termite begins swarming in some parts of Mississippi in May.
You may know Extension for it's strong connection to agriculture and the 4-H youth development program. But Extension offers much more. Get a glimpse of the wide range of programs and services our organization provides.
PICAYUNE, Miss. -- School groups, nature enthusiasts and the public can enjoy two fun-filled days of exciting, hands-on learning about the environment, ecosystems, wildlife and insects at the Mississippi State University Crosby Arboretum in Picayune. BugFest offers insect-related displays, interactive exhibits, games and crafts. Biologists, naturalists, entomologists and other experts from Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama will host booths and give presentations on butterflies, bats, caterpillars, beetles, crayfish, ladybugs, hissing cockroaches, dancing praying mantises, native and exotic arthropods and more.
MISSISSIPPI STATE , Miss. -- A Mississippi State University Extension Service specialist has been elected to the executive board of the American Association of Pesticide Safety Educators. Gene Merkl, program manager for pesticide safety education for the state of Mississippi, will serve as president-elect for the nationwide organization. His service on the board is a three-year commitment.