The recently launched Purdue Plant Doctor website at purdueplantdoctor.com navigates like a smartphone app and can help growers identify and manage insect pests and diseases of trees, shrubs, and flowers. It will also help growers recognize “good bugs,” those beneficial insects that prey on harmful insect pests or serve as valuable pollinators. Helpful instructional videos provide supplemental content.
Purdue entomologist Cliff Sadof was a key contributor to this site. He said that identifying a plant problem is the first step to improving the health of plants in the landscape. “We created a series of short (5 to 7 min.) YouTube videos to help you learn or just brush up your plant diagnostic skills,” he said. “Each video guides you through the diagnostic process in real landscapes, reviews pest biology, and provides tips on management.” Videos finish with a demonstration of how to use the Purdue Plant Doctor to confirm your diagnosis and get current recommendations. Key moments tabs help you navigate through each video.
Users may watch these videos in English or Spanish from the website or directly from YouTube. Some of the topics include:
- Diagnosing Plant Problems with the Purdue Plant Doctor Web Page
- Beating Back Borers of Pines and Other Cone Bearing Trees with the Purdue Plant Doctor
- Managing Spider Mite Mayhem with the Purdue Plant Doctor
- All You Need to Know about Managing Scales and Mealybugs with the Purdue Plant Doctor (
- Taming Aphid Problems with the Purdue Plant Doctor
- Managing Japanese Beetle with The Purdue Plant Doctor
- Managing Plant Galls with the Purdue Plant Doctor
Too often when we see an insect, we automatically think it’s a pest. But that is not always the case. The Purdue Plant Doctor website will also help you recognize beneficial insects like ambush bugs, assassin bugs, ground beetles, soldier beetles, lacewings, and minute pirate bugs.
So, whether you are a homeowner or a landscape professional, the Purdue Plant Doctor can help you manage pests in landscapes and recognize the beneficial insects in landscape
