Emerald Ash Borer (EAB): A Toronto Master Gardeners Guide

The Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) is a wood-boring beetle native to Asia that feeds and kills Ash trees (Fraxinus genus). The beetle’s larva bores through the bark into the cambium creating serpentine galleries where it feeds on the phloem,…

Rampant Pill bugs eating live plants

We are in East York and have a west facing house. We get extreme sun in the afternoon and have Sandy soil. Since moved in (5 years ago), there have been extensive pill bugs in our gardens (front and back).…

Bronze Birch Borer: A Toronto Master Gardeners Guide

The bronze birch borer (Agrilus anxius) is a beetle native to North America. The borers’ larval feeding tunnels under the bark girdle the trunk or branch of the tree and interrupt the flow of nutrients and sap which eventually leads…

Birch Leafminer: A Toronto Master Gardeners Guide

Birch leafminer (Fenusa pusilla) is the most common of several larval insects that mine birch leaves. This small sawfly is native to Europe but has become a major pest of birches in North America. The adult sawfly is a small,…