June 29, 2011

Dividing Bearded Irises


 

Japanese Beetles. They're Ba-a-a-ck!


Like swallows returning to San Juan Capistrano, the Japanese beetles have reappeared on Iowa's roses and grape vines.  Sigh.  Here we go again.

 

How Hard are the Scale Insects?


It's a funny question, all right, but one that turns out to be more important than you might suppose. Scale insects are sap-feeding insects named for the scale or shell-like waxy covering that conceals their bodies.

Scale insects are generally divided into two categories: soft scale and armored (hard) scales. The names are moderately descriptive of the group, but not entirely, nor does hardness versus softness describe the whole difference.