You are here

Insects-Home Lawns

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

News

Firefly lighting up.
The light is created by a chemical reaction that occurs (Photo from Canva Pro)
June 9, 2023 - Filed Under: Insects-Home Lawns

During summer nights, something magical happens. Tiny insects light up the night sky, making summertime just a bit more special than it already is.

Closeup of an armyworm
Fall armyworms can be different colors and range from light green to almost black. Photo by Blake Layton
August 10, 2022 - Filed Under: Insects-Crop Pests, Insects, Insects-Home Lawns, Insects-Pests, Turfgrass and Lawn Management

If you’re a homeowner who loves your bermudagrass lawn, be on the lookout for fall armyworms. These caterpillars can eat voraciously, devouring yards within just a day or two. These pests show up every year from late summer to early fall, and you never know exactly when or how many there will be.

Three photos of butterflies in a collage.
Mississippi is home to numerous butterflies, ranging in a variety of colors. (Photos from Canva Pro)
July 14, 2022 - Filed Under: Flower Gardens, Insects-Home Lawns

Butterflies are a fan-favorite insect among many people. Not only are they pleasing to watch, they also play a vital role in our environment. Butterflies are pollinators, meaning they move pollen from one flower to another, fertilizing plants so they can reproduce. They’re both beautiful AND beneficial! 

A single caterpillar rests on a blade of grass.
August 11, 2021 - Filed Under: Insects-Forage Pests, Management - Forages, Insects-Home Lawns, Insects-Pests

Lawns, pastures and even winter food plots are at risk as an insect army advances across much of the state in higher than normal numbers. Blake Layton, entomologist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said fall armyworms are the most damaging insect pests of bermudagrass hayfields and pastures

A photo of a female Asian horntail wasp.
June 30, 2021 - Filed Under: Insects, Insect Identification, Insects-Home Lawns, Insects-Pests

Mississippi is home to several flying insects that can be mistaken for the invasive Asian giant hornet discovered in Washington in 2020. Blake Layton, Mississippi State University Extension Service entomologist, said this insect, also called a “murder hornet,” has not been confirmed outside the Northwest. However, Layton said he has been contacted by people who think they have seen these hornets in Mississippi and Alabama in the last few weeks.

Listen

Friday, January 10, 2020 - 7:00am
Friday, August 16, 2019 - 7:45am
Thursday, June 7, 2018 - 2:00am

Select Your County Office

Your Extension Experts

Portrait of Dr. Blake Layton, Jr.
Extension Professor