Aug. 21 column: Insect ID

Even though I recently wrote a column about the top 5 damaging insects and how to deal with them organically, I decided to write today’s column about the importance of insect ID. Here’s a link to it in The Spokesman-Review: Season’s pests may surprise you.

If you want to successfully deal with problems in your garden, it is critical that you know first what you’re dealing with so you can come up with a smart strategy.

In my column, I share a problem I was experiencing with my melon seedlings. I was just certain slugs were the culprits since we haven’t had a positive relationship in the past! (grrr) To my surprise, it wasn’t slugs at all but pillbugs instead.

So, there’s a moral to the story in my column along with useful information on where you can get help identifying insects that are bugging you. I hope you’ll enjoy it.

By the way, in my column, I included an information box containing the location, hours, phone number and email address for the Spokane County Master Gardeners. If you read the print version, that information box is missing. However, it did make it to the online edition, so that’s one way to get it.

But just to really make sure you have that information, here it is:

Located at 222 N. Havana St., the Spokane County Master Gardener plant clinic is open from March through October. Hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Contact them at (509) 477-2181 or mastergardener@spokanecounty.org.