Butterfly

Beneficial Insects

Butterflies are beautiful, graceful creatures and there are over 20,000 different species located in many parts of the world.  They also provide a very important service for the plant kingdom: pollination.  While they perch on a flower to drink the nectar...

Spiny Orb Weaver

Beneficial Insects

The Spiny orb weaver is one of many species of beneficial spider that feasts on small garden pests.  Their common name is appropriately labelled, the spider has six pointy projections located around its abdomen.  Bright coloration of the abdomen such as yellow, red,...

Praying Mantis

Beneficial Insects

Similar to the common names of the gypsy moth and emperor scorpion, which have nothing to do with gypsies or emperors, the praying mantis (Stagmomantus sp.) has nothing to do with praying. The common name praying mantis refers to the typical “prayer-like” posture...

An overview of Hydroponics

Hydroponics

Definition of Hydroponics Hydroponics is actually the science of growing plants without soil. Rather than soil, plants are grown in solutions containing each of the necessary minerals and elements. Methods utilized to get the nutrients to the roots, combined with the...

What Makes Honey Bees Unique Among Pollinators

Beneficial Insects

The honey bee (Apis mellifera) is responsible for approximately 80% of the pollination of fruits, nut, grains, and vegetables in the United States today. Honey bees are not native to North America; they were brought here by European settlers in the colonial days to...