IPM News

Cold spell aside, optimism blooms for Pa. farms

May 16, 2013

The temporary dip in temperatures gave farmers in Pennsylvania a scare during a spring that experts have otherwise described as pleasantly devoid of big problems. Most farmers aren't fans of deviations from the norm. Schedules are typically set by following patterns that follow long-term trends.

New Heat Treatment Program Battles Invasive Species

May 15, 2013

Invasive species such as Asian longhorned beetles and emerald ash borers, which often arrive as infestations in wooden packing crates, are a growing problem in the United States. A Penn State collaboration is developing a new heat treatment program for solid wood packaging materials to help prevent these kinds of destructive pests from reaching our shores.

The Plight of the Honeybee

May 14, 2013

Bees are back in the news this spring, if not back in fields pollinating this summer's crops. The European Union (EU) has announced that it will ban, for two years, the use of neonicotinoids, the much-maligned pesticide group often fingered in honeybee declines.

Cicadas Not Expected for a Few Years in Central PA

May 13, 2013

If you are looking for one of the world's most mysterious insects to return en masse to the Altoona area, you are going to have to wait several more years. Residents of 17 Pennsylvania counties soon will see an emergence of periodical cicadas, commonly - but mistakenly - called 17-year locusts.

Penn State Partnership Stimulates New Pest Technology Business in South Asia

May 10, 2013

Pest problems have plagued South Asia’s vegetable production for many years, but thanks to a collaboration between Penn State and other researchers, an important vegetable pest has all but been eliminated from Bangladesh.