Grow more trees, you say? Often where trees would grow best and make the most $$ for growers are also the places best suited for agricultural crops. In the Midwest, corn/soybeans/sugar beets/whatever are more valuable than trees. It all boils down to economics. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Hot off the press! Status update for the #invasivespecies Asian longhorned beetle in the U.S. Note the new double spot in SC... #wompwomp More information at www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-pests-...

Jay and I conduct "caterpillar walks" every year, and I know this webinar will be engaging, entertaining, and have lots of amazing caterpillar pictures. Register for free at: www.scwf.org/events/intro...

There's a fungus amongus (and no I'm not talking about the debut album from Incubus) and we brought all these #fungi together so you can see just how many forest #pathogens are in much of North America. Some lists are lame, but this one is pretty cool... neobiota.pensoft.net/article/1579...

Interested in #invasivespecies and #bioinvasions anyone? Join us for a free webinar tomorrow!

Can you detect invasive plants from the air? Yes you can! I mean, it's not as easy as it sounds, but it can be done... www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Modelling biological processes can be hard, and even harder when scientists and land managers aren't on the same page. We need better communication between these groups, especially with #bioinvasions. Communication matters, y'all. @biolinvasions.bsky.social link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Large chunks of people's favorite trees seemingly go leafless overnight this time of year, usually thanks to caterpillars. Our paper (w/ @kellyoten.bsky.social & #nobluesky Robert Jetton) in @entsocamerica.bsky.social's JIPM highlights several species in the SE US: academic.oup.com/jipm/article...

I love this figure in our review of sawflies of eastern North America. Shout out to @flydrocarbon.bsky.social for leading the charge and the @catherinelinnen.bsky.social lab! Check out the paper in the @entsocamerica.bsky.social Journal of Integrated Pest Management: academic.oup.com/jipm/article...

How do you get rid of invasive Elaeagnus in a forested landscape? We found that you have to get herbicide to the stem or stump because the drooping growth pattern creates an umbrella, preventing good foliar coverage. A simple, yet useful study! www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

New work in the @entsocamerica.bsky.social's Journal of Economic Entomology examines an eruptive native herbivore, the baldcypress leafroller (Archips goyerana), in the southern U.S. (aren't baldcypress swamps cool?) and shows they're more common than we thought... academic.oup.com/jee/advance-...

I was fortunate enough to take part in the Kentucky Forest Health Conference earlier this month. Nearly 300 people gathered to learn all about #foresthealth and #bioinvasions issues in the state. It was great to hang out with old friends Ellen and Abe, too!

A few of my favorite slides from my #ISAT2025 talk where I spoke about using social media to help with #invasivespecies and #bioinvasions messaging. Also the first time I used the word "bunghole" in a professional presentation, so there's that. #iykyk

And here. We. Go. Day 1 of the Invasive Species Ambassador Training at the beautiful Lake Guntersville State Park. Our goal this week is to help #bioinvasions folks increase the impact of their program, expand their reach, and forge new relationships. After all, we're all in this together.

Beth Biggs is studying the biology of these critters and helped put together this great fact sheet: hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/th...

Itsy bitsy spiders, anyone? These #invasivespecies Joro spiders are one of the #bioinvasions we study.

A rare snow in Coastal SC was one of the highlights of the South Carolina Vegetation Management Association meeting. Was great to catch up with all the plant management folks AND s see Clemson Extension’s own TJ Savereno get recognized for his years of plant ecology work.

LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THIS YELLOW LEGGED HORNET NEST!! Unfortunately, this is the most recent #invasivespecies & #bioinvasions in our state: www.clemson.edu/public/regul...

Often the environmental impacts of #bioinvasions are seen as a nice to know, not a need to know, thing..but we need to know these impacts to have a clear picture of what #invasivespecies are doing. E.g., we saw lower insect richness and diversity in non-native wood: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Making #foresthealth science happen! Stemming from conversations at this year's SFHWC (www.sfiwc.org) meeting, John Nowak, Jim Meeker (USFS FHP) and I met with Melissa Griffin (SC DNR) today to figure out how to measure the impacts of #weather on southern pine beetle outbreaks. Stay tuned!

Throwback to warmer days - this red-spotted purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax) is what my boys call "one of the poop butterflies" because we often see them sampling the local dog feces in the backyard like it's their own personal buffet. Speaking of poop, the caterpillars look like bird droppings.

Statistics (for most) is hard, and I think this message still rings true - it takes a village to train a fully functional, statistically literate researcher. Yes - there's a time and place for tough love. But there's also a time and place for teaching. d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/39929982/Sta...

Wheel bug! These suckers can be over an inch (2.54 cm) long. Look but be careful - they’ve got a big piercing/sucking mouthpart that can puncture skin.

They don't call 'em flatheaded borers for nothin'... Larvae of metallic woodboring beetles (Buprestidae) typically live in stressed/dying/dead wood - with the exception of the emerald ash borer, one of the worst forest #bioinvasions we've seen in this generation. This isn't one of those, though.

Massive thanks to @truebug.bsky.social for having me out last week at @unlincoln.bsky.social. I got to visit with Doctor of Plant Health (dph.unl.edu) students and catch up with old friends. Jody Green and I have been in Extension circles for YEARS, and Andy Little and I were at UGA together.

Don't look now but NEBRASKA HERE I COME! Excited to hang out with the Doctor of Plant Health folks @unlincoln.bsky.social next week talking about #invasivespecies.

Post a picture you took (no description) to bring some zen to the timeline.

If anyone ever asks you “whatcha doin’?” I am quite certain that “collecting spiders” is not a response they were expecting. 🕷️

Gave my annual guest lecture for my good buddy Robert on Tree Declines. Since it was a zoom lecture I didn't get any great audience pics so here are some of my favorite slides from the show.

Younger #academic folks out there will never realize what a high it was to receive your paper reprints in the mail after your manuscript was published.