Sometimes it is easiest to hide in plain sight of everyone and everything. Appear to be something else with little to no interest to anyone or anything which might happen to pass by and notice. This strategy is the basis for numerous disguises used as part of the camouflage tactic. Blend into the background and…Read more
Also written by Chris D. Renn and Les Harrison. The pine tree industry is a major contributor to Florida’s economy despite the loss of thousands of acres of trees due to recent hurricanes, notably Hurricane Michael in 2018. The pine industry provides trees for timber, pulpwood, pinestraw, pine rosin (turpentine), and provides land for conservation…Read more
Guests which are picky eaters are no fun, especially for a host. No matter what dish is served, there is always something wrong with it. It can be the wrong flavor, incorrect seasoning, improperly prepared or some other culinary offence which repels the persnickety visitor, and it frustrates the gracious and long suffering person who…Read more
Looks, as the old saying goes, can be deceiving. This useful advice is certainly applicable to all the flying nocturnal visitors in the past weeks who are showing up in the home landscape and garden plots. Those small, nondescript moths which flit around the porch light are busy doing more than decorating car grills under…Read more
Cycas revoluta, the king sago palm, or simply ‘sago palm’, is a member of the Cycadaceae family. Most common names for this and other cycads include the word palm because of their resemblance to some members of the palm family (Arecaceae). However, it is not a true palm. Cycads are more closely related to conifers…Read more
Also written by Chris Renn. Despite the damage incurred by recent hurricanes, notably Hurricane Michael in 2018, the pine tree industry in Florida still is a major contributor to the state’s economy. This industry includes the growing of trees for timber, pulpwood, pine straw and pine rosin (turpentine), and it provides for conservation and public…Read more
The first indication of a problem is the mysterious white blob about the diameter of a quarter in the turfgrass or on a weed. The frothy material hides a potential menace to the funds and hours of labor committed to the groomed and manicured lawn. This globule is usually the first sign a spittlebug is…Read more
As spring hurtles towards summer, the palette of colors in natural areas changes by the week. Flowering trees, shrubs and wildflowers provide a Technicolor display for anyone willing to spend the time to take it in. The hues cover the spectrum and some blooms come with pleasant perfumes to offer the viewer a distraction from…Read more
Being social has many positive aspects. For highly social creatures, being alone is not an acceptable state of existence. There is always at least one other individual present with which to interact. There is work, play, eating and many other activities to share. Social does not mean always coexisting on a friendly basis. In some…Read more
The effects of January’s cold weather in panhandle Florida have many characteristics. In addition to the realistic possibility of the occasional subfreezing thermometer readings and frosts, there is the quiet. Still, the rumble of vehicle traffic remains, the whine of the occasional jet passing is overheard and the general sonic clutter in populated areas persists,…Read more
