I have been fighting a losing battle this summer against the Oleander Aphid, which terrorizes my milkweed plants in warm, moist summers like we have had.

Aphids are small insects that can inhabit any number of plants. Aphids essentially use their piercing mouth parts to...

The bagworm is a unique insect I had heard a lot about but hadn't gotten the opportunity to see in person until I was at Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Nebraska for a University of Nebraska Extension class that trained insect education volunteers. The bagworms were inf...

I have had lots of friends and family ask me this summer about a giant wasp terrifying them. It doesn't take very long to figure out that that most times they are talking about the Cicada Killer Wasp, which is likely the largest wasp in North America.

They are solitary...

Most people can fairly easily distinguish between common moths and butterflies. They are closely related and in the same "Order" of insects, Lepidoptera, but there are noticeable differences. Generally speaking, butterflies are more colorful with patterns on their wing...

For this week, I thought I would feature another insect that backyard gardeners may be facing soon. The cucumber beetle is a big nemesis for me. There are two types with very "creative" names - the Striped Cucumber Beetle and the Spotted Cucumber Beetle.

I first discove...

Several years ago I noticed an attractive, unique looking red moth fluttering around my garden. I stalked it, hoping it would pause long enough for me to get a photo. I spent an entire summer trying to photograph this moth. Eventually, triumphantly, I succeeded!

When...

One of the first things I investigate when I decide what plants to put in my yard is what type of insect life they will attract. This year I did a fairly significant overhaul of those plants and I was thrilled today to see those changes have already made an impact.

Tha...

You will soon begin seeing these ubiquitous white butterflies - known as the Cabbage White or Imported Cabbageworm. They are found all over the world. Interestingly, they are not native to North America but were introduced here accidentally in the 19th Century and has...

The most common butterfly I have seen this spring is the Red Admiral. This black butterfly with orange accents flies somewhat erratically. It is hard to tell what it is until it lands. The butterfly is more on the small side when you compare it to large butterflies lik...

I have had a few problems with the Web site so I haven't been able to update the blog for a few weeks. My apologies on my absence.

Our insect for this week just recently made its first appearance in my garden - the asparagus beetle. In this case the "insect of the week...