Insect

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) declares August “Tree Check Month.”

A new group of endangered beetles has been discovered in Roscommon. The rare species has only ever been found in Michigan and Ontario.

June through August is mayfly season, and southeast Michigan has already seen a plethora of swarms emerge. Soon, these insects will be hatching across the Great Lakes.

The project started a few years ago as a collaboration between the Traverse City Downtown Development Authority, the Master Gardener Association of Northwest Michigan and Michigan State University Extension.

The first English word for “lawn” dates back to the early 1500s, described as an “open space among trees.” Lawns today are a far cry from that description, but they’ve come to dominate our physical — and cultural — landscapes. Now concerns over environmental impacts are propelling yet another redefinition.

This spring, the Grand Traverse Area Children’s Garden teamed up with the GT Butterfly House & Bug Zoo to encourage people to help out pollinators.

State officials have confirmed the presence of hemlock woolly adelgid in western Antrim county. As WCMU's Rick Brewer reports, it's the second confirmed case of the invasive species in the last week following an outbreak at the Huron-Manistee National Forests.

Invasive hemlock woolly adelgid has been found in the Huron-Manistee National Forests.

Entomologists say insects are declining at alarming rates — one major study estimates we’re losing 2% in total insect biomass every year. Now, the National Academy of Sciences is preparing to embark on a study to understand insect trends across North America.

The state is no longer allowing people to move or transplant certain tree species in Benzie and Manistee counties to prevent the spread of an invasive insect.