MIRAGE-Benchmark/MIRAGE huggingface dataset:
Type of flies

Question: Hovering flies under patio. Cannot identify to eradicate. I was able to see and catch one prior to death. Looked like a small black fly with big red eyes or head; not sure which. Clear wings. They only arrived a couple of months ago after plumbing pipes under cement were replaced and covered back up. Pest control had no immediate response to the type of fly. They offered generic pest services.

responder: Scott Jerrell, M.S.  Replied June 20, 2023, 3:19 PM EDT
response: This appears to be a common housefly Musca domestica Linnaeus.  They typically are found around areas of high organic material, so the drain replacement may have attracted them.  Please refer to the fact sheet for more details.   https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN205

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 20, 2023, 5:57 PM EDT
response: Hello Scott,Thank you for your response. I am curious.  Do you know if house flies have the tendency to hover and fly in circles OUTDOORS, and not land? They are congregating by circling and hovering outdoors, under a wooden stair case. They disappear in the evenings and reappear during the day. They really don't seem to be elsewhere. I didn't see a description of this behavior in the link on house flies you sent.I am wondering if they could be some other type of fly, if the house fly doesn't behave this way?Any input would be appreciated.Thanks again,KathiOn Tue, Jun 20, 2023, 12:19 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 20, 2023, 6:27 PM EDT
response: Scott, As a follow up. Now that I am looking closely, I believe most of the flies that are hovering look different than the fly I caught. The hovering ones are difficult to see and catch. Apologies for my interruptions.Kathi---------- Forwarded message ---------From: Kathi Skultety <<personal data hidden>>Date: Tue, Jun 20, 2023, 2:53 PMSubject: Re: Type of flies (#0106583)To: Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>>Hello Scott,Thank you for your response. I am curious.  Do you know if house flies have the tendency to hover and fly in circles OUTDOORS, and not land? They are congregating by circling and hovering outdoors, under a wooden stair case. They disappear in the evenings and reappear during the day. They really don't seem to be elsewhere. I didn't see a description of this behavior in the link on house flies you sent.I am wondering if they could be some other type of fly, if the house fly doesn't behave this way?Any input would be appreciated.Thanks again,KathiOn Tue, Jun 20, 2023, 12:19 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Scott Jerrell, M.S.  Replied June 21, 2023, 11:08 AM EDT
response: There is no way to tell for certain without a picture for a proper ID.
Plant identification help

Question: Hi! Hoping to get a plant identified and we have a concern for horse safety.

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied June 20, 2023, 3:36 PM EDT
response: Hi Monica, From what I can see in the photo, this looks like American plum (Prunus americana).  The leaves of these native shrubs are usually considered to be poisonous--whether or not your horse would eat them is another matter.  I recommend consulting your veterinarian on the risks for your animals. I hope this is helpful. Cordially, John

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 21, 2023, 10:01 AM EDT
response: Thank you for your help!   Monica Hahn Manager, Harmony Equine Dumb Friends League Direct:<personal data hidden> Mobile:<personal data hidden> Pronouns: she/her/hers    Our Mission: Working with our compassionate community, we will end pet homelessness and animal suffering.      From: ask=<personal data hidden> <ask=<personal data hidden>> on behalf of Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2023 1:36 PM To: Monica Hahn <<personal data hidden>> Subject: Re: Plant identification help (#0106559)    [ATTENTION] This is an email from outside of the Denver Dumb Friends League domain. Please be aware of links and files attached to this email.
What kind of insect is this.

Question: I found this Fellow in my yard on Sunday,6/18/2023. It was just in the grass.

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied June 21, 2023, 1:25 PM EDT
response: Hi,  This looks like Florida Predatory Stink Bug nymph. It is a native insect and not a pest which causes problems in your garden. They will hopefully go after the unwanted insects!  Let us know if you have further questions about them.  Emily

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 21, 2023, 1:39 PM EDT
response: Thank you very much. I am glad that I set that bug back into my yard unharmed. On Wed, Jun 21, 2023 at 1:25 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied June 22, 2023, 8:45 AM EDT
response: you're welcome!
Chard pest identification

Question: Many of my chard plants are suddenly infested with these tiny winged bugs. Mostly in the middle where the new growth is, but also all over the underside of some of the older leaves. There are flea beetles mixed in as well, but the winged ones are new. What are they, and what would you recommend to control them? As you can see in one of the photos, I applied diatomaceous earth because I had it on hand and I know it's a reasonably safe general-purpose insecticide, but I know it's not universally effective.

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied June 21, 2023, 8:32 AM EDT
response: Hi Daniel, thanks for the question. Looking at the pictures this is most likely black bean aphids. Aphids can be both winged and wingless. There seemed to be no evidence of flea beetles (damage or beetles) but it was hard to tell. Diatomaceous earth can deter flea beetles and help control aphids but can be detrimental to beneficials.  Dislodging aphids with a stiff spray of water works well.  Check out the following link for additional information. Aphids in home yards and gardens | UMN Extension I hope this is helpful.

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 22, 2023, 1:30 PM EDT
response: Yes, some research after I posted the question suggested aphids as a possibility, but I didn't know they could be both winged and wingless—good to know. Re: flea beetles, I know I have them elsewhere, so I assumed some of the wingless bugs are flea beetles here as well, but maybe not. Re: dislodging aphids with water spray, I've heard that but always wondered, shouldn't they just climb right back on if you don't kill them? Clearly they at least mostly don't or this wouldn't be such a common recommendation, but I'm curious why they don't, what stops them?

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied June 23, 2023, 9:35 AM EDT
response: Daniel, If you believe you have flea beetles, disturbing (sometimes as simple as waving you had over them) you should see them springing off the plant. Also, look for the tiny holes (when bad it looks like they were shot with a shotgun). When you spray off the aphids (the majority without wings) off the host plant, they just don't seem to make it back.  They are slow movers and need the host plant to survive. High populations, and eggs can cause a resurgence so you may need to do this more than once.
What plants are these?

Question: I have two plants I would like identified please. One is volunteering in my garden and I think it is maybe kale, which I have planted in the past. 
The other, is in a rock garden and is spreading and it stays low, about six inches.

responder: Diane M  Replied June 21, 2023, 9:17 PM EDT
response: The first may be tribe brassiceae, which is a family of flowering plants including  mustards, the crucifers, or the cabbages .. It includes kale.  The last photo shows what may be field horsetail.  For information on this plant, see https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/encyclopedia/field-horsetail

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 27, 2023, 8:42 AM EDT
response: Thank you so much! I am glad it is kale and I think I found it as Russian red kale. Seed company maybe mixed it up because it doesn’t look like the variety on any of my old seed packages. One time I bought a lettuce seed pack and it came up radishes. Mystery food! Sent from my iPhone On Jun 21, 2023, at 8:17 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:﻿
identify a bee?

Question: I found this guy in my garden. It is pretty small - less than half the length of a European honey bee. It looks like a bumble bee to me but has wasp-like markings. I have been trying to ID it online but can't find anything that resembles it. I have a lot of bees in my garden but I have never seen this one before. Any ideas?

responder: Anna Ashby, Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardener   Replied June 20, 2023, 11:06 PM EDT
response: Hi Jane, That looks like it might be a European Wool Carder bee or Anthidium manicatum.   It sounds like you have a great garden for bees.

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 21, 2023, 9:06 AM EDT
response: Thank you, yes, that looks like a wool carder bee. I subsequently read about them, and understand that they are invasive and possibly detrimental to our native bees and honey bees. I do not grow lambs ear, but I do grow some salvias, including culinary sage and hot lips (although that is proving to be unsuccessful  where I live in the south Salem hills). Is there anything I should do (or not do) to not encourage these guys? I really enjoy my native bees. J Sommers     ------- Original Message ------- On Tuesday, June 20th, 2023 at 8:06 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Anna Ashby, Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardener   Replied June 22, 2023, 12:29 AM EDT
response: Hi Jane,  At this point in time the European wool carder bee or Anthidium manicatum is not considered a problem in western Oregon. I found this interesting publication from the state of Oregon on "Forest Bees" which I think you will also find interesting. These bees have the potential to become a problem, but are not a serious issue now. Continue enjoying your garden, the native bees, and the wool carder bees.

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 22, 2023, 9:01 AM EDT
response: Thank you! J Sommers     ------- Original Message ------- On Wednesday, June 21st, 2023 at 9:29 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
Asian Pear dilemma

Question: Hi, would like Id of whatever is wrong with my dwarf Asian Pear, planted last fall on the Eastern Shore of MD

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied June 20, 2023, 1:02 PM EDT
response: Hi-  This is a classic symptom of rust, a fungal disease named for the orange spores and leaf lesions it produces. Many plants in the rose family (apple, pear, crabapple, hawthorn, quince, serviceberry, etc.) can contract rust and the fungus has unusual reproduction where it must spend part of its life cycle in another unrelated host plant, in this case, juniper (such as our native and widespread Eastern Redcedar). You can learn more about rusts in this Ohio State University article.  Fungicide treatments sometimes help prevent rust infection but they must be applied at bloom.  Several reapplications each season may be needed to effectively suppress the disease, and once symptoms manifest, as they are here, no treatment will be effective because these spores are intended to infect the juniper host again to complete the cycle. Fungicides will also not be able to cure an existing infection or reverse its effects. Ideally, the most practical approach to dealing with rust since it's such a widespread disease is to select cultivars. Unfortunately, there are no rust-resistant Asian pear cultivars.   Not much needs to be done at this point since these spores are windblown and abundant enough (from infections on other wild and cultivated trees) that removal of these won't make much difference. Still, you can pluck off and dispose of any infected fruits that you can reach if you prefer. We recommend that backyard fruit growers use spray schedule information from Virginia Tech. Note: organic fungicides like sulfur are not very effective against rust. Mancozeb is a synthetic fungicide labeled for controlling rust diseases in pear trees. Jon

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 20, 2023, 5:38 PM EDT
response: Wow, my head is spinning!! Thank you for your time and for the information, Susan
Larvae identification on raspberry leaves

Question: Can you please confirm what type of larvae this is on my raspberry plants? Pictures of larvae and leaves included in hopes of positive identification. I’ve not been able to distinguish through the website.
Thank you!

responder: Deb Kroon  Replied June 20, 2023, 10:29 AM EDT
response: good morning Brandi and thank you for reaching out to ask2.extension.  The larvae is a sawfly larva and the bug is an adult sawfly. Management for sawflies depends on many factors: time of the year; health of the plant; number and size of sawfly larvae and if the tree is a conifer or deciduous or shrub. There is a great article on the extension website.  It’s too long to copy here for you.  Go to  extension.umn.edu and search for sawfly larvae.  The article is entitled “sawflies”.  The article will give you ways to get rid of these pest depending on what you have them on. There is also an app called Picture Insect that gives a pretty good reading of insects. I hope this helps!  Have a good day!

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 20, 2023, 4:47 PM EDT
response: Thank you so much for confirming!Brandi On Tue, Jun 20, 2023 at 9:29 AM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
Weeping cherry snow fountain cracked trunk

Question: Good morning, 
Any thoughts in what is going on with my weeping snow fountain? We planted the tree a year ago. Initially it suffered from beetles eating which we were able to save it from. This year it has great green foliage and bloomed in the spring. Recently we’ve noticed the trunk has seemingly ‘burst’ open. We’d appreciate any insight!

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied June 21, 2023, 11:41 AM EDT
response: This type of damage looks drastic but it also appears that "healing" (plants don't heal like we do, but they can close-over wounds) is happening since we think we see some callus tissue forming along the edges of the cracks. The original problem might have been frost cracking, especially since we did have a winter with a few drastic temperature fluctuations that damaged or stressed a variety of plants. There is nothing that can be done except to just keep the tree minimally stressed by avoiding future wounds and making sure it's well-watered (when needed) without staying too wet for prolonged periods. Do not spray or paint anything onto the wound as a sealant as these products risk worsening the issue rather than benefitting wound closure.  Miri

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 21, 2023, 12:02 PM EDT
response: Thank you so much!! On Wed, Jun 21, 2023 at 11:41 AM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied June 21, 2023, 4:44 PM EDT
response: You're welcome!
Insect destroying basil and mint

Question: This green and black beetle (I think) has made a mess of the basil and mint in my raised beds.  I would prefer not to use insecticides since I have pollinators gardens. Can I get rid of it any other way? Thanks for any advice.

responder: Diane M  Replied June 21, 2023, 8:51 PM EDT
response: This may be a four-lined plant bug, which usually does not do much harm.  The brown spots may be due to a bacterial or fungal infection and are similar in appearance to septoria leaf spot .  If this is what you have, you may need to apply a fungicide.  Cleaning debris from the garden and removing infected plants will also help.  For information about the problem and suggestions for countering it, see https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/septoria-leaf-spot For information about using herbicides safely, see https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/2018/07/fungicides-and-how-use-them-effectively For information about four-lined plant bugs, see https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/four-lined-plant-bugs

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 21, 2023, 10:14 PM EDT
response: Thank you!On Wed, Jun 21, 2023, 7:51 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
chlorosis ( fruit trees and small fruit)

Question: I'm growing peaches and raspberries in concrete-block raised beds that were filled with "topsoil". The new growth of the plants looks fine, but the older leaves are severely chlorotic (please see attached photo) - by the end of the growing season, the leaves are almost completely yellow. Should I worry about this? If so, what are likely causes and solutions? Thank you.

responder: David Lowenstein  Replied June 20, 2023, 11:36 AM EDT
response: This chlorosis is usually caused by high soil pH. At a pH of > 7.3, iron cannot be absorbed properly and leads to this yellowing. Plants could still produce some fruit but it will reduce yield. I'd suggest getting a soil test (homesoiltest.msu.edu) or at least purchasing a pH test kit to see pH is the contributing cause. It is possible to reduce the soil pH a little with the application of sulfur or alumnium sulfate. Read here for more information on lowering soil pH.  From a leaf alone, it's hard to know if there are any additional factors that are affecting the plant.

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 21, 2023, 8:12 AM EDT
response: Thanks for the prompt and helpful reply. The pH is 7.9, so I had started adding sulfur, and will continue to do so.   Dave Strayer        -----Original Message----- From: Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> To: Dave Strayer <<personal data hidden>> Sent: Tue, Jun 20, 2023 11:36 am Subject: Re: chlorosis ( fruit trees and small fruit) (#0106460)
Insects or Woodchucks?

Question: What is eating my green bean seedlings and what can I do about it?

responder: Betsy, UVM Extension Master Gardener Volunteerwww.uvm.edu/extension/mastergardenerWe do not intend to endorse any products we mention or criticize products we do not mention.When we include a link to a resource that recommends a chemical, it is for informational purposesonly; the chemicals may not be registered for use in Vermont. Replied June 19, 2023, 10:53 PM EDT
response: Hi Susan, Thank you for submitting your question to the UVM Master Gardener Helpline. Mexican bean beetles can leave holes in the plants that look very much like your pictures. The Pest and Scouting report for UVM has reported these beetles in all of the bean crops that they are monitoring now. https://blog.uvm.edu/vepart-scouting/2023/06/16/vvbga-scouting-report-6-15-23 This reference from University of MN has descriptions of the beetles. You can try removing them by hand and drop them in a bucket of soapy water. Several other control methods are discussed in this reference. https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/bean-leaf-beetles.  A floating row cover over the seedlings may help protect them from further infestation. https://extension.unh.edu/blog/2020/10/using-row-covers-garden I hope this is helpful. Best of luck.

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 19, 2023, 11:18 PM EDT
response: Thank you. I read the article in the link, but I really don’t want to pick them off by hand or use pesticides. And the floating row covers won’t work because it’s just a small square planting (see pictures). Do you know of an organic product or method that would work? BT or yellow sticky tape or something like that? Thank you for your help. Susan Scott On Mon, Jun 19, 2023 at 10:53 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Betsy, UVM Extension Master Gardener Volunteerwww.uvm.edu/extension/mastergardenerWe do not intend to endorse any products we mention or criticize products we do not mention.When we include a link to a resource that recommends a chemical, it is for informational purposesonly; the chemicals may not be registered for use in Vermont. Replied June 20, 2023, 6:50 AM EDT
response: Hi Susan, I am adding a collaborator to help with this question. We will have an answer for you soon. Thanks, Betsy

responder: Betsy, UVM Extension Master Gardener Volunteerwww.uvm.edu/extension/mastergardenerWe do not intend to endorse any products we mention or criticize products we do not mention.When we include a link to a resource that recommends a chemical, it is for informational purposesonly; the chemicals may not be registered for use in Vermont. Replied June 20, 2023, 3:09 PM EDT
response: Hi Susan, You could use the organic insecticide call Entrust or SPinosad. Pyganic, also organic may also work.  Good luck! the beans can withstand some damage and still produce well.