Over the past decade or so, experts have warned about three different insects that we should be watching for. Two of them, the spotted wing drosophila and brown marmorated stink bug, have the potential to make growing certain crops much harder for farmers and gardeners. The third, Asian giant hornet, could impact honeybees. After all the hype, where are they now?

Get an update on invasive insects that may be in our area from Laurel Moulton, Program Coordinator for the Clallam County Master Gardeners. Thursday, October 28, 2021, from noon to 1:00 pm via Zoom, she will give an overview of the insect life cycles, the potential impacts, and the actual impacts that have been seen locally as a result of these non-native pests.

Find a direct link to the Zoom presentation here.

or by Phone: Call: 253 215 8782; Meeting ID: 943 4333 9396, Passcode: 447604

Participants will come away from this presentation with knowledge about how to identify these pests, an understanding of their lifecycles, and information on managing or reporting them when they are found. Time permitting, Laurel will introduce additional invasive organisms that home gardeners should be on the lookout for.

Laurel has been a Master Gardener since 2006, and in 2011 received her master’s degree in horticulture with a minor in entomology from Oregon State University. She was studying for her graduate degree right as the spotted wing fruit fly and brown marmorated stink bug came to the attention of farmers and gardeners in the Pacific Northwest.

The “Green Thumbs Garden Tips” education series, sponsored by the WSU Clallam County Master Gardeners, is held on the second and fourth Thursday each month through October. In November, December, and January, one lecture is offered. Scheduled presentations are subject to change. Visit the WSU Extension Clallam County website calendar for the latest information on upcoming presentations. For questions, call 360-565-2679

Green Thumb Education Series Presentations are held from 12 to 1 pm on the second and fourth Thursdays of most months. Talks are currently only being offered by online streaming, due to current social distancing concerns with COVID-19. Please see instructions for accessing the live stream. Presentations and associated printed materials will be archived on the local articles and archived presentations portion of our website. These events are free, but donations to help support the WSU Clallam County Extension Master Gardener program are appreciated.