Since it’s inception in 1989, the Insect and Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab has served over 25,000 citizens. Inquiries arrive in the form of walk-ins, phone calls, e-mails, and regular mail. The clinic operates year-round and offers diagnostic services to the public. Services include plant disease identification, plant nutritional and cultural problem assessment, insect identification, and insect injury identification. Maine’s potato IPM program also makes use of the clinic for aphid identification as well as disease assessment. Funding for the clinic is obtained through commodity groups and special grants. Note: In November of 2014, Maine voters approved a bond referendum that has enabled the construction–now underway–of a new animal/plant disease and insect control lab, which will be called the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Diagnostic and Research Laboratory. Visit the following site to explore the many additional ways this new diagnostic and research laboratory will benefit Maine: extension.umaine.edu/newlab/

Insect Assistance:

• Submitting an insect specimen
• Insect fact sheets
• Useful links for insect pests

Plant Disease Assistance:

• Submitting a plant sample
• Plant disease fact sheets
• Plant disease images

Additional Assistance / Topics:

• Home and garden pests
• Tick identification
• Pesticide Applicator Training (PAT) materials (purchasable online)