We know that most insects in our garden are beneficial. But when we find insect damage on our beloved flowers, vegetables and fruits, it’s hard not to focus on the damaging insects. A good gardening practice is to keep abreast of the latest research on how to attract good insects and adopt pest management practices to minimize damage from the “bad” insects. By seeking out research-based information on good and bad insects, you can learn about potential damage and a range of control options to make well-informed decisions about managing the pests in your Minnesota garden. Read this article to learn more about good and bad insects and how to tell the difference.

Attract bats to my garden? Why would I want to do that? To understand why, you must read this fascinating article about the benefits of bats in the urban, suburban or rural garden. Learn more about how bats help to reduce the pesky mosquito population and benefit your garden soil. Learn how to attract local bat species and provide shelter for them. Beyond the benefits bats provide to our environment, they are interesting creatures as this article explains.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources defines an invasive species as “species that are not native to Minnesota and cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.” This article defines and identifies the invasive species that can cause harm to the economy, environment, or human health.

This is the time of year when bugs, not eliminated earlier in the year, try to take over your plants. Don’t get those creepy-crawly pests ruin your houseplants. Read this article to learn how to prevent getting those bugs and how to eliminate them if they manage to creep in.

Are you sneezing, have itchy or swollen eyes, scratchy throat or nasal congestion these days? The cause might be ragweed! Ragweed pollen is one of the most common causes of allergies or hay fever. And, it can stay with us until October! Read this informative article about how to identify and control Ragweed this season.

You’ve turned in after a productive day of gardening. Beginning to doze off, you feel something ever so slightly brushing against your thigh. You reach and feel a small hard object crawling up your leg. Lights on. It’s a tic, ambling along, looking for a nice warm place to suck your blood! It is tick season and there is good reason to be wary.

This is the point in summertime when your plants might be developing fungi or experiencing invasions by harmful insects. You may be asking yourself what you can do to control these unwanted invaders who may be damaging your plants or, at least, their looks. Your first inclination may be to turn to pesticides. But many of these problems can be controlled without using pesticides. There are many resources that explain what you can do to avoid using pesticides and other potentially harmful chemical products. This article provides resources, tips and other valuable information that can be helpful in deciding how to handle your garden problems.

As the snow melts this spring, you may observe trails of dead grass in your yard. Or, you may find that the bark near the ground of your small trees or shrubs has been chewed bare. What is the cause of this damage that occurred over the winter? Most likely, the culprit is voles. Read this article learn more about voles and how you can reduce the damage they may bring to your yard.

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On September 22, the path of our Sun crossed the equator, headed south. We all know what’s coming to Minnesota: longer nights and lower temperatures. Our beautiful gardens are dying back, leaves are changing to stunning colors before dropping and blowing away, and many of our warm weather birds are departing for warmer climes.
But some birds say in Minnesota year-round and other birds fly south to our state from the Arctic. We all enjoy watching beautiful, colorful birds in the winter. Here are some ideas for helping our winter resident birds make it through a Minnesota winter.