61 State Street, Troy, NY 12180
518-272-4210
61 State Street, Troy, NY 12180
518-272-4210
The Diagnostic Lab For Plant And Insect Samples
Do you have an unknown insect eating the tomato plants? Are those ants in the bathroom carpenter ants? Is a mysterious dieback troubling the spruce tree? Or is an unknown weed invading your lawn? Our Horticulture Educator and Master Gardeners can examine insect and plant samples to pinpoint the cause of the problem, and recommend a management plan.
An insect sample should consist of five or more individual insect specimens. Household insects, such as grain beetles, ants, and moths, can be examined as well as garden insects. The fee for these samples is $2.00 each.
Plant samples should contain a generous amount of leaves and stems. Submitting both heavily damaged material as well as that just starting to show symptoms is helpful. Entire plants can be examined if they are small. Unknown plants can be identified with scientific and common names as closely as possible. Lawn samples should consist of a square of sod at least 6 inches by 6 inches which shows both good and diseased grass. The fee for these samples is $2.00 each.
Submitting samples:
1. Samples can be brought to our office at 61 State Street in Troy, NY 12180, any weekday between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM. We are closed on government holidays. OR
2. Mail samples to Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer County at the above address. Insects should be mailed in a crush-proof container such as a film canister or pill bottle. Include a note describing the problem, your check made payable to Cornell Cooperative Extension, and your name, address, and daytime phone number.