Wizzie's a whiz with bugs
Wizzie also knows lizards, butterflies, ants, and other garden critters, as well as the down and dirty with plant diseases. Sharing her knowledge of integrated pest management on her new blog, Urban IPM, entomologist Wizzie (short for Elizabeth) Brown joins the ranks of Austin bloggers with her Travis County bug blog. Her credentials are solid: she’s the Extension Program Specialist–IPM for the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, with experience in community-wide fire-ant management, IPM training for pest-control operators, and Austin’s educational Grow Green program.
If you’re not exactly sure what IPM is all about, here’s a helpful description from the Grow Green website:
What is IPM?
Integrated pest management (IPM) is an environmentally-sound method of controlling pests (weeds, diseases, insects or others). Pests are identified, action thresholds are considered, all possible control options are evaluated, and selected control(s) are implemented. Control options used to prevent or remedy unacceptable pest activity or damage include:
Biological – recognize, encourage, and/or introduce beneficial predators in your landscape
Cultural – plant native, pest-resistant plant varieties, and give them proper light, water and nutrients
Mechanical – hand-pick insects, or use traps, barriers, or water blasts to infected areas
Chemical – use botanical, mineral, and insecticidal soap or synthetic chemicals
Choice of control option(s) is based on effectiveness, environmental impact, site characteristics, worker/public health and safety, and economics. IPM takes advantage of all appropriate pest management options.
On a recent episode of “Central Texas Gardener,” Wizzie discussed several nasty, new pests that have arrived in the Austin area, including cycad scale and the dreaded agave snout-nosed weevil, which I’ve unfortunately already met. Since the studio portion of the show is not available online at this time, I’m hoping that Wizzie will blog about these new baddies soon.
All material © 2006-2008 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
She sounds like a great person to talk with about keeping life in balance. I once killed off all the bugs good and bad and had the most horrible looking flowers. I learned my lesson early on. I wish this lady much luck in the blogging world although she will be an instant success with that kind of knowledge.
Good bugs are worth the effort of learning about, aren’t they? Plus bugs help attract birds and lizards like the one pictured above to the garden. Thanks for commenting on your learning experience, Anna. —Pam
Wellll, I will take a look. I just love bugs ya know. I don’t know much about them but I like them.
I just love seeing your resident lizard too. Those colors. I have tried hard to find those very colors but have failed.
Lisa, I thought you did a marvelous job with the colors on your anole picture. The tricky thing about these lizards’ coloring is that, like chameleons, they can change color to blend with their surroundings. It just takes a minute for them to change from green to brown or back again. —Pam
Oooh, this sounds like a must-read blog. Thanks for the heads-up!
You’re welcome, Lori. —Pam
Pam, has the agave weevil been eliminated from your garden? I wonder if she would have any ideas about dealing with phlox bug…I could use a natural predator or two! I shall head over to visit her blog! Thanks, Gail
I hope so, Gail—for now, anyway. I used a systemic insecticide on all my agaves and yuccas, just in case. I sure didn’t want to lose any more to that nasty bug. Good luck learning how to control your phlox bug. —Pam
Thanks for the link. Just took a quick look and there is loads of information on the bugs I have seen around my garden and would like to know a little more about. I have them all.
Then her blog will be a good resource for you too. —Pam
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammymom/2703029731/
these are all over my yard and we love them!
Cute! He sure does resemble our anoles, but that zig-zag pattern on his spine is different. —Pam
Agreed, I love her blog and she is an amazing resource to those of us who work at the Extension office.
I saw that you’d already discovered her blog from several comments you’d left. 🙂 —Pam
Just wanted to say thank you for letting people know that I’m out there blogging away about one of my great loves- bugs! I really appreciate it!
Also, love your blog…I’ve been reading along for awhile now, drooling over your yard and plants, of course!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you’re providing such great info about bugs in the Austin area. And please keep drooling. My plants really need the water! 😉 —Pam