Find research-based information on both helpful and harmful insects, spiders and other insect relatives. Learn how to identify insect damage on plants and in the landscape as well as how to prevent and control common household insect infestations.
UMN Twin Cities is an affiliate of Bee Campus USA, an initiative of the Xerces Society that raises awareness of the importance of pollinators and actions each of us can take to help pollinators.
Scale insects are common on many trees and shrubs. Natural enemies help keep them in check but scales sometimes can injure plants.
Boxelder bugs are a nuisance because they enter homes and other buildings, often in large numbers. They can become an issue when they try to move into homes during fall to find a warm place to hide for winter.
Insects, diseases and nematodes affecting corn
Insects and diseases affecting soybean
Ants, bed bugs, clothes moths, cockroaches, flour beetles, springtails, wasps
Boxelder bugs, Asian lady beetles, flies, earwigs, masked hunters, springtails and stinkbugs
Pantry pests, carpet beetles, clothes moths and silverfish
Spiders, ticks, mites, millipedes, centipedes, scorpions and sowbugs
Bed bugs, fleas, head lice and medically significant insects
UMN Twin Cities is an affiliate of Bee Campus USA, an initiative of the Xerces Society that raises awareness of the importance of pollinators and actions each of us can take to help pollinators.
Visit the Bee Lab for information on helping pollinators
Grow bee lawns and pollinator friendly plants
List of plants for bee food and habitat
Social wasps and bees, stinging insects and how to get rid of their nests
Lacewings, lady beetles, minute pirate bugs, parasitoid wasps, syrphid flies
Four-lined plant bug, iris borers, rose chafers, spider mites, wasps and bees
Insects and other bugs that particularly help, harm or feed on fruits and vegetables
Bluegrass billbug, cicada killers, cutworms, white grubs
Aphids, caterpillars, Japanese beetles, scales, sawflies
Black flies, mosquitoes and ticks
School IPM programs reduce pesticide applications and increase cost-effectiveness. Manage ants, rodents, wasps and bees.
Many yard and garden pests can be controlled successfully without pesticides.
An outbreak of spruce budworm across northeast Minnesota has led to widespread mortality of balsam fir, dramatically increasing wildfire risk, particularly in the Arrowhead region.
Despite the problems the cold can cause for farmers, gardeners, and homeowners, a cold winter can be a welcome event from a pest management perspective.
As cooler weather brings houseplants indoors, many plant owners are dealing with fungus gnats. While harmless to humans, they can stress plants, especially seedlings and delicate roots.
Timely information to help you care for your yard and garden.
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