The oak mite has people and their pets scratching. Native to Europe, this pest was first detected in the Kansas City area in 1994. The mites cause itchy, red welts that have small blisters in their center Unlike chiggers that mostly concentrate in restricted areas around waste bands and socks, oak itch mite bites are [...]
The Kansas City summer is coming to a rainy ending. Continuously wet soil has promoted more tree and lawn mushrooms than usual this year. Mushrooms are the fruiting body of a much larger fungus. Tree Trunk Mushrooms grow on tree trunks from fungi feeding on the dead wood of the tree. The only way to [...]
Insect bites are a problem this time of year, especially when mosquitoes carry viruses like zika and west nile. Over the counter bug repellents have unnecessary chemicals. Try this homemade bug repellent recipe for a natural alternative that also has a more pleasant aroma than the store bought options. Homemade Bug Repellent Recipe 6 oz. [...]
Now is the time to watch pines for the presence of pine sawfly larvae. Watch for these Signs: The culprit is the larvae of a broad-waisted wasp that looks a lot like a house fly. Eggs are laid at the ends of pine branches during the summer. Eggs begin to hatch in early to mid-April. [...]
