Pest Infestations Search Results

How To: Identify problems squash, melons, & chile plants

This video answers some questions on how to identify some of the problems that occur in vegetable gardens: for example, if there are missing leaves on your tomato plant, then it is an indication that they are being eaten by something. In some cases, this pest is the Tomato Hornworm. The Mosaic Virus and Curly Top and Tomato Spotted Wilt also attacks tomato plants.

How To: Identify a spittle bug on your salvia

Great video by Southwest Yard & Garden. tutorial on how to identify garden pests on your plants & shrubs. Went into detail on the Salvia plants - always be careful spittle bugs, they produce spittle commonly on Salvia plants. Whiteflies and aphids are known to take residence in Ash trees. Aphids commonly take on the look of mildew. Ways to manage moths for apples, you can use insecticide spray but be conservative. Took a look at signs of Cochineal Scale on a Prickly Pear. Went over ways to ta...

How To: Weed in hard-to-reach spots

One of the most challenging, arduous parts of gardening is weeding vegetables that are close to the ground. Cabbage, for instance, leafs out near the earth and can be fiendishly tricky to weed. In this Growing Wisdom gardening tutorial, you'll learn about some of the tools that can help you weed those hard-to-reach spots without breaking your back in the process.

How To: Make a preventive barrier for slugs and snails

Snails and slugs are a big problem for gardeners across the country, whether it be a hosta patch or your lettuce, they love to eat a wide variety of plants. If you have containers, raised beds, even if you have benches slugs will climb up and over and into your plants. To get rid of these pests you could use baits, traps or a preventative barrier. Copper tape is a protective barrier that works. Copper conducts enough electricity so that when that slimy slug touches the copper strip it gets a ...

How To: Use Phantom Insecticide to kill bed bugs

In this Home & Garden video tutorial you will learn about Phantom Insecticide for bed bug control. You cannot buy this pesticide over the counter. You will need a license to purchase this. It is very effective in bed bug control. While evaluating a pest control company, check out whether they use this pesticide. It can take seven to fourteen days to kill a bug after it is exposed to this pesticide. So, if you are bitten by a bed bug after applying the pesticide, don't think that it is not wor...

How To: Prune a young blueberry plant

If you plan on growing various fruits in your yard, know that each plant needs to be pruned at certain times of the year. Blueberry plants need to be pruned or burned over every two years so that any pests that may distrupt it can easily be taken care of. The result is a plant that will help produce beautiful fruit that is not only good for the body, but for the mind.

How To: Get rid of spiders and cobwebs

Are cobwebs taking over the lesser used areas of your home? Do you hate bumping into a big, uninvited spider guest in your doorways? Well, look no further. Springtime brings pollen, dust and pests, all of which contribute to those annoying webs, and this tutorial will provide you with professional tips for eliminating them from your space. Not only will you learn how to get rid of the webs, you will also learn how to prevent them so hopefully you won't have to worry anymore. So, check out thi...

How To: Repot a juniper bonsai tree fall

When re-potting a juniper bonsai tree you're going to have to go through the following procedures. First get it out of the existing pot and then rake out the soil at it's base. After doing so for a while, blast the soil with a water jet. If by chance you encounter stubs of ground level branches, try to remove it with a cutter, otherwise use a pruning saw. Now go back to cleaning and reducing the root mass, having done so as much as possible move the tree into another container. Start backfill...

How To: Prevent Fruit Flies

Fruit flies are an incredible nuisance, as anyone in any warm climate knows all too well. In this video, with Chef Keith Snow of HarvestEating.com, we learn a simple but effective countermeasure against these aggravating little pests. Most successful, he says, is the use of vinegar.

How To: Spin wool

In this episode of Growing Wisdom, Dave Epstein and fiber sculptor Susan Barrett Merrill discuss how to spin wool. Barrett Merrill demonstrates the spinning wheel and explains how wool is transformed into yarn. She also shows some of her own work and explains her artistic process.

How To: Spiff up your driveway with street print

Your driveway can make a big difference in the appearance of your house. As nice as it would be to have a brick, slate or cobblestone driveway, those are expensive options that not everybody can afford. In this episode of Growing Wisdom, you'll learn how to use a comparatively inexpensive process called street printing to really class up your driveway by creating the illusion of brick and other textures.

How To: Use a three-bin composting system

Every day, the average American throws away about four pounds of trash. But a lot of your daily trash could actually be very useful in the garden, as composting. In this episode of Growing Wisdom, Dave Epstein shows you how to use a three-bin composting system.

How To: Extract seeds from tomatoes

If you've grown tomatoes from seed, perhaps you've wondered how the seed company extracts those seeds. In this episode of Growing Wisdom, Dave Epstein walks you through a process known as sluicing. Using sluicing, you can extract vegetable seeds yourself.

How To: Choose a shade tree

When you head to your neighborhood gardening center to find a shade tree for your garden, the variety of choices can be pretty overwhelming. There are so many kinds of trees, and each of those trees has its own varieties. In this clip, Dave Epstein from Growing Wisdom will help find the best shade tree for you.

How To: Use soil block makers to start seeds

A soil block maker is a cool device for starting your seeds. All you do is fill a container with soil and use the block maker like a cookie cutter. Then you'll have little blocks of soil to plant your seeds in, and you can easily transfer the block to your garden. Now stand back and watch your plants grow!

How To: Use vinca (or periwinkle) flowers in your garden

The vinca, or periwinkle, is a hearty flower that adds a lot to any garden. It comes in a variety of colors, and grows in the sun as well as the shade. But they're so hearty that you have to watch them, or they'll start springing up where they're not supposed to. In this video, Dave Epstein from Growing Wisdom walks you through using periwinkles in your garden.

How To: Make hoops for your low garden tunnel

With low garden tunnels you can protect your plants from frost and insects, and you can overwinter your crops. In this episode of Growing Wisdom, host Dave Epstein will look at how to build a garden low tunnel. He'll focus on using the Quick Hoops Bender for the project.

How To: Are There Bedbugs in Your Library Books? Here's How to Spot and Destroy Those Bloodsuckers!

Of all the places you'd think to check for bed bugs, I doubt that library books would be at the top of your list. As odd as it sounds, though, libraries and library books are some of the most common places for bed bug infestations. Libraries all over the country have reported bed bug problems this summer, and some have even had to temporarily close to take care of the problem. But before you vow to never set foot inside a library again, here's a little primer on how to check your books for be...

How To: Plant garlic in your vegetable garden

Garlic is great for spicing up your meals (and keeping vampires away!) and fall is a great time to grow it. In this video tutorial, you'll learn how to grow garlic in your garden. Get some garlic bulbs from a seed catalog, nursery or organic grower, and you'll soon have a garlic crop to be proud of.

How To: Grow vegetables late in the season

Come the fall, your garden is probably going to be looking pretty spare. But it doesn't have to be that way. There are vegetables that will thrive in the fall. In this Growing Wisdom gardening tutorial, you'll learn how to grow vegetables in the cooler months.

How To: Make a leaf fence

Autumn leaves may be beautiful, but they can also be incredibly annoying as they pile up around your garden. But there are things you can do with autumn leaves, like mulching them, composting them and turning them into a living fence. In this episode of Growing Wisdom, Dave Epstein walks you through how to make a leaf fence.

How To: Rid your garden of white fly

One of the ironies of gardening is that often some of the smallest pests can create the biggest nuisance. White flies can drain the life out of your plants. You can see the evidence of white fly damage in the lack of vigor in the plant and the discoloration of the leaves. Before they were a rich green and now they've turned a sickly yellow. Learn how to get rid of these pesky white flies with this gardening tutorial.

How To: Kill or Keep Away Flies & Other Small Pests with Homemade Sticky Flypaper

Despite being disgusting, houseflies are actually beneficial to humans in a few ways. As scavengers, they help the environment by eating rotting organic matter, and make great food for pet tarantulas. Regardless of the advantages to their existence, having them in your home can be infuriating. There are countless sprays, traps and devices made to kill or deter the little pests, one of the most common being flypaper that hangs from the ceiling. These sticky strips are incredibly easy to make a...

How To: Get rid of mice

If you see a mouse in your house, don’t kid yourself—his entire extended family has moved in with him. Reclaim your home, once and for all. Check out this Howcast video tutorial on how to get rid of mice.

How To: Get rid of tent worms without insecticide

Talk about taking one for the team. If you're an eco-friendly earth muffin who refuses to use anything chemical-ridden on yourself and the environment around you, then there exists a gnarly - though effective - approach to killing a tent worm infestation that you may want to try out if you're not squirmy.

How To: Get rid of moles in the yard

Moles can be a problem. You can identify Moles as a problem if when you stick your finger down a hole you can feel a tunnel. There is a safe way to rid your lawn of Moles without harming other pests, insects, pets or family. Castor Oil produces an odor that Moles don't like. Get it in granular or liquid form, sprinkle it around the area. You'll see more Mole activity in the first few days because they'll get agitated but quickly they'll move somewhere else. Don't use a castor oil from a groce...

How To: Eat spiders (tarantulas)

Spiders. They live around you, the sleep next to, and they hide in the corners of your room. They're considered pests by most people, but to some, then considered a delicacy. Believe or not, the strongest natural fiber known is from the silk of the Nephila spider, but that spider is nothing compared to a huge, hairy, hideous tarantula. Tarantulas have been a delicacy for years. Enjoy one of these recipes when they are hot and crispy.