Boxelder Bug

Boxelder bugs(Boisea trivittatus, Family Rhopalidae, scentless plant bugs) are common insects from mid-summer through fall, and sometimes in spring. The gray and red adults are about ½ inch long. Nymphs (immatures) are bright red with darker heads and look like the adults, but without developed wings. They tend to be most abundant after summers when […]

Read More...

Hempcrete

What is Hempcrete? Hempcrete is a bio-composite made of the inner woody core of the hemp plant mixed with a lime-based binder. The hemp core or “Shiv” has a high silica content which allows it to bind well with lime. This property is unique to hemp among all natural fibers. The result is a lightweight […]

Read More...

Rain Barrels

What is a rain barrel? A rain barrel can be any large container designed to collect rain water. Typically, rain barrels are placed at the bottom of downspouts in order to collect rain as it runs off of a roof. For every inch of rain that falls on 1,000 square feet of roof, about 600 […]

Read More...

How to Deal with Japanese Beetles

Managing Japanese Beetle Adults & Grubs While Minimizing Impacts on Pollinators Established in Wisconsin in the 1990s, the Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) is a voracious defoliator of many landscape and garden plants. Roses, birches, lindens, grapes, raspberries, Norway maples, beans, apples, plums, crabapples, elms, beech, asparagus, and rhubarb are some of its favorite plant species. Typically, Japanese […]

Read More...

Asian Giant Hornets, or a look-alike?

Lately, we are getting many questions, and submissions of insects suspected to be Asian Giant Hornets for identification by our our Agriculture Educator, Kaitlyn Davis. Most of these submissions have been the Cicada Killer Wasp. Click for more information!

Read More...
Picture of lilacs

What’s going on with the lilacs?

August 11, 2020 Contact: Bill Halfman, UW Extension Agriculture Agent Phone: 608-269-8722 What is Going on with the Lilacs?? In most years, lilacs tend to be relatively disease free. When sited properly (in full sun) and pruned/thinned regularly, they reliably produce a bounty of beautiful blooms each spring in a myriad of colors.  And oh that […]

Read More...