Hire tree care professional with confidence
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Summer blooms simplify warm-season grass identification
URBANA, Ill. – Most people can identify a few different trees by their leaves or flowers in bloom, but grasses are a different story. Grasses provided food and shelter for wildlife and are key to a healthy ecosystem. Learn to identify the wide variety of Illinois warm-season grasses in a...

Extension expands leadership focused on natural resources, energy, environment
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Pesticide users balance risks, benefits for producers, neighbors
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Aphid pests on the move in backyard gardens, agricultural fields
URBANA, Ill. – Ever spy small, yellow dots on the back of plant leaves during the summer months? Those tiny pear-shaped specks are aphids. Aphids are a common insect pest in the home landscape and for houseplants. There are many species of aphids in Illinois and they feed on a large...

Pesticide rollback removes hundreds of pesticides from future use
URBANA, Ill. — The Environmental Protection Agency’s most recent evaluation of publically available pesticides resulted in the removal of more than 100 turf, pest, and agricultural products from the approved list. Every 15 years, the EPA examines registered pesticides to ensure they meet...

Keep pesticides from drifting into unwanted spaces
URBANA, Ill. – The Illinois Department of Agriculture receives about 120 pesticide complaints each year; 60% of the complaints stem from a pesticide that moves from its intended target to surrounding land or water.  Off-target pesticide movement occurs when a pesticide moves out of the...

Small bug, big risk: Protect yourself from ticks this summer
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Keep an eye out for invasive jumping worms in the garden
URBANA, Ill. – After a long winter, Illinois gardeners are eager for the new growing season. While doing the usual preparations and tasks, home gardeners should be aware of an invasive species wriggling across the Midwest – the jumping worm. Jumping worms are non-native earthworms that...

Save baby wildlife by stepping back; rescues rarely needed
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What’s in a name? Non-native species not the same as invasives
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Researchers call on backyard scientists to help save pollinators
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Keep them around; snakes eat pests that eat your plants
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Edible wild mushrooms are more than just your next meal
URBANA, Ill. – Every spring, enthusiastic woodland hunters scour forests across Illinois in search of an elusive and delectable fungi, the morel. ...

New directory connects Illinois woodland owners with professional foresters
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Youth fishing program gets kids off screens, into the great outdoors
Urbana, Ill. – In the past year, screen time has increased exponentially as schools, organizations, and even socializing have gone remote.  Illinois 4-H has developed a new outdoor curriculum for junior-high age youth focused on getting kids spending time outside and enjoying the proven benefits...

Spruce, Callery pear have no home in Illinois landscapes 
URBANA, Ill. – They are beautiful, tempting, and frequently for sale in Illinois garden centers, but many nonnative trees are less than ideal for land of Lincoln landscapes.  ...

From hunt to plate, make a tasty dish of your wild game
URBANA, Ill. – Illinois hunters support the health of ecosystems, conservation efforts, and local economies. Successful hunts also provide lean, local protein for families and communities. University of Illinois Extension, in cooperation with...

Warmer temperatures rouse reptiles for spring migration
URBANA, Ill. – Illinois is world famous for its snakes. Every spring starting in March, Snake Road in the far southern reaches of the state closes to vehicles so migrating reptiles and amphibians can safely cross....

Frequent fire too hot to handle for invasive plants
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