By Denis Crawford
Several invasive insects currently of concern to the horticultural industry have something in common – the ability to travel long distances in horticultural material.
If reading a newspaper recently might make you think that we are under threat from invasive insects from all points of the compass, you would be right.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Denis Crawford
Conventional wisdom tells us that the bush will recover after fire, and that the wildlife will return. It’s not that simple.
I’m not likely to forget February 13th 2024. It was the day a bushfire descended on my local town of Pomonal, destroyed 45 homes, many sheds and other structures, kilometres of fencing, and over 2700 hectares of bushland and private land.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Patrick Regnault
When selecting plants for our landscape projects we look for well-formed, healthy, and disease-free plants with a well-developed root system. Nurseries spend time and effort finding a mix that is right for the stock they produce, and their geographical location dictates the type of media to which they have access.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Denis Crawford
Insects that spread plant diseases are known as vectors of that disease. It’s important to know that some insects are more efficient vectors than other others.
Insects which transmit plant diseases are mostly sap-sucking insects of the insect order Hemiptera.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Denis Crawford
Butterflies are desirable in gardens because they are indicators of a healthy environment. Unfortunately, they are under threat from climate change.
People enjoy seeing butterflies fluttering around their gardens and in bushland. Butterflies are considered to be harmless, perhaps with the exception of the cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae), and they are often quite large, colourful, and aesthetically pleasing.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Denis Crawford
We all know about the natural enemies of pest insects, but did you know that beneficial insects also have their enemies?
I have often said “for every insect out there, there is probably another insect that wants to feed on it or breed in it”.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Clive Larkman
Biosecurity refers to all levels of plant and animal imports. There is a federal department within the Department of Agriculture called Biosecurity Australia and they set the rules for all imports. This includes surprising issues like the importation of cars from countries where they are often parked on grassed areas before shipping.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Denis Crawford
With European honeybee populations under pressure from varroa mite it is time to take another look at alternative pollinators.
The need for pollinators that are complementary to, or an alternative to, European honeybees has never been more critical.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Clive Larkman
The world is a very different place from what it was one hundred or even fifty years ago. Fashion, technology, health and travel are some of the obvious sectors with immense change but there are less apparent ones that have major effects on our way of life.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Denis Crawford
Most people are familiar with mammals and birds that use tools, but they may not be aware that some insects also use tools.
I first became aware of animals using tools through the work of Jane Goodall in Africa during the 1960s.… Continue reading
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