Plant Pest Insider is a monthly newsletter from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture that shares stories and updates about plant pests in Minnesota. Issues highlight ongoing pest management, new detections, and ways you can help protect our state’s plants and environment. Articles are written by MDA staff and partners who work directly with these pests across Minnesota. Material in this newsletter is not copyrighted and may be shared freely; however, please credit the Minnesota Department of Agriculture if you do. Check back often or subscribe to stay up to date with the latest plant pest news!
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2026 Plant Pest Insider Newsletters
April - Topics include spring blooming invasives, Smarty Plants episode on buckthorn, sampling seed, spongy moth limited permits
March - Topics include spongy moth management, brown marmorated stinkbugs, new Smarty Plants episode, 2025 year in review
February - Topics include looking for weeds in seeds, consumer protections on the smallest scale, outreach in action, spongy moth survey team positions
January - Topics include new infestation of tree of heaven in Dakota county, making plans for a healthy garden, seed potato certification
2025 Plant Pest Insider Newsletters
December - Topics include holiday greenery disposal, new episode of Smarty Plants, holiday greenery inspections, seed selection for gardens
November - Topics include holiday greenery precautions, Smarty Plants spotlight, fall surveying for potato cyst nematode
October - Topics include firewood precautions, fall house guests that may bug you, surveying for phytophthora
September - Topics include fire blight, emerald ash borer biocontrol, oak wilt risk
August - Topics include participatory science, tree check month for Asian longhorned beetle, spotted lanternfly
July - Topics include identifying plant issues, northern giant hornet look-alikes, in the field with MDA staff
June - Topics include spongy moth survey, smarty plants podcast, elm zigzag sawfly
May - Topics include red star rust, spongy moth quarantines, emerald ash borer awareness week
