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GENERAL INFORMATION
(If you have a question or information of general interest that you think others would like to know, please submit it too support@dunroy.com.)
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- Fall "Ladybugs" may really be "Asian Lady Beetles" - We are all familiar with the occasional invasion of ladybugs on the warm or Sun side of the house as fall approaches. But these insects may really be Asian Lady Beetles. Click "here" for an explanation. (submitted by John Drews).
- Fall Webworms are not Tent Caterpillars - Homeowners should be careful before trimming off branches infested with these webworms because the tree will likely recover next year. Only Persistent infestations (year after year) of individual trees may cause limb and branch dieback. Click "here" for a Times-News article on webworms.
- Black Specs on Homes - Have you experienced black specks on your house or car and wondered where they came from? Well it may come from a fungus growing in your mulch called artillery or shotgun fungus.The fungus produces a sticky mass of spores that when conditions are right they will shoot into the air. They have been known to shoot the spores as high as a second floor of a building. The problem that they create is that they like to aim at shiny or light materials. Once these masses hit their mark, they are very difficult to remove even with the best of cleaners.
Studies are currently going on to learn more about the fungus and how we can control it. Currently, the recommendation to prevent the artillery fungus is to either remove the current mulch and replace it with non-organic mulch like pea gravel, or brick chips or with a mulch that is made from cypress, cedar, redwood, or pine bark as these will not support fungus growth. If you present hardwood mulch, then you need to replace or at least replenish the mulch each year. The fungus does not grow on fresh mulch because the heating process kills the spores. Older mulch can grow it because its aged mulch and the spores can be produced in either the spring or the fall. There are no fungicides labeled to control artillery fungus. (submitted by Dave Kochman)
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