Q. This past summer, bugs ate the leaves off my turnips, squash, rutabagas, etc., in a short period of time while I was away from home. I had applied wood ashes mixed with water and dishwashing soap. What should I use rather than a toxic chemical? Also, should I transplant evergreens in the winter or early spring? When is the best time for transplanting? I also have several locust seedlings to move. I have a wood-burning…Read more about February 1996[Read More]
Q. How do I get rid of these small, round, red-orange bugs that look like ladybugs? They are swarming on our screens, doors and porches trying to get in the house, and many of them succeed. Nothing seems to discourage them. If you happen to smash them, there is a terrible odor. I don’t know if they damage anything, but they sure are annoying. Thanks for all your useful answers. – Ellen Roe, Crawfordsville, Ind. A. I…Read more about November 1995[Read More]
Q. We have six flowering dogwood trees in our yard that are approximately 3 years old. (They have not flowered, yet.) Our yard is adjacent to a cornfield. Our problem is Japanese beetles. They especially like our dogwoods. According to publication E-75 from the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service on Japanese beetles, flowering dogwoods are “relatively free of feeding by adult Japanese beetles.” Our dogwoods are not “relatively free.” Why are the Japanese beetles feeding on…Read more about September 1995[Read More]