Browse Home Stories

As summer approaches and regular rainfall continues, now is the time to focus on managing local mosquito populations. During recent work around my home, I found mosquito larvae in nearly every object that could hold water: the birdbath, plant trays, dog water bowl, garden buckets — you name it. If they are in my yard, they are probably in yours, too. Mosquitoes require standing water for their eggs, larvae and pupae to develop.

Make room, Joro spiders. There’s another invasive species taking over Georgia yards this summer. The Asian needle ant is becoming infamous as a “medical pest.” Although this type of ant has been around in the U.S. since the 1930s, its spread through the Southeast marks a significant danger for those with allergies to other insects like wasps or yellowjackets, said Dan Suiter, an Orkin Distinguished Professor of Urban Entomology in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and UGA Cooperative Extension.

As temperatures warm up and summer approaches, a surge in stinging and biting insects can quickly turn a fun day outside into an itchy, uncomfortable ordeal. Elmer Gray, a research entomologist with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and specialist for UGA Cooperative Extension, shares insight into the most common insect pests of the season — and how to protect yourself and your family.

Everyone’s got one. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. You know, that drawer, closet or room where you stash all the things that need to be out of the way. That counter that is always piled with correspondence, important papers or items saved for later. That cabinet or shed whose contents you may not be 100% sure of. Our society places a premium on what we own, and often our stuff defines us. While it is normal to outfit our homes with décor and sentimental items, sometimes what we have can interfere with how we live.

Radon, an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas, is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., but it can be detected and mitigated with the help of local University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service offices across the state. Radon comes from the breakdown of uranium in granite and rocky soils, so Georgia’s wealth of granite bedrock increases the chance of household radon for its residents.

It’s summertime, and there are a few things residents of the Deep South can count on this time of year — heat, humidity and insects. Fireflies and cicadas are popular topics these days, but of all the creeping, crawling, buzzing creatures that bug us, one is met with near-universal revulsion — the cockroach. Whether you’re new to the South or a lifelong resident, you’ve likely run into one of the several species of cockroaches that are common in the region.

Spring is approaching and now is a great time to schedule a community clean-up event. These events can be organized by citizens, civic groups or local governments and often have a theme or targeted area in a town or community. Clean-up events provide many benefits to a community including raising the awareness of litter prevention, developing pride in our communities and restoring the natural environment.

Uttam Saha, member of the University of Georgia Radon Team and program coordinator of the UGA Agricultural and Environmental Services Laboratories, said that while indoor air has traditionally been the focus of radon testing, another, lesser-understood route of exposure to radon is through household water — primarily when it is supplied by a private well.

They have been described as palm-sized, parachuting creatures with the potential to spread up the East Coast. Now dozens of webs are appearing in trees, on fences and in gardens around the Southeast, and social media and message boards are buzzing with Joro spider sightings. Discussions of eradication methods ranging from chemical sprays to “Joro sticks” are rampant. Joro season is here.

Every pet owner has probably asked their pet “What do you have in your mouth?!” at least once or twice — it’s an essential part of pet ownership. That’s why responsible pet ownership also includes knowing what houseplants or common flowers may be dangerous — or even fatal — to your pets.