May 8, 1998
Butt Rots: Have You Checked Lately?
Let's clear up any personal anxieties right away. These butt rots won't affect your own posterior. The term "butt rot" refers to decay fungi that attack the base ("butt") and roots of trees. All sorts of trees. In fact, butt and root rots may be the most damaging but least understood tree diseases. In this column, you'll meet some butt rotters and find out how and why they do their thing.
Larder Beetles
The common household invader pictured here is on the move, creating an annoyance in infected homes. See the article on page 101, June 27, 1997 issue of the Horticulture and Home Pest News, for details. ( Image at left is from A Manual of Common Beetles of Eastern North America. )
This article originally appeared in the May 8, 1998 issue, p. 53.