- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
Soil solarization is a method home gardeners and farmers can use to manage soilborne pests such as weeds, disease pathogens, nematodes and insects. Solarization can reduce help reduce pesticides used to control these pests.
Soil solarization is simple: prepare the site, water it a bit, then cover the soil with clear plastic for an extended period of time to allow the sun to heat the soil to temperatures lethal to a wide range of pests.
Learn more about this process in our recently updated Pest Notes: Soil Solarization for Gardens & Landscapes, by authors Jim Stapleton, Cheryl Wilen, and Richard Molinar of the University of California Cooperative...
- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
![Mosquito taking in a blood meal. [Credit: Jack Kelly Clark]](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/CCUrbanPests/blogfiles/52637small.jpg)
- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
![Clutter can harbor pests. [Credit: K Windbiel-Rojas]](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/CCUrbanPests/blogfiles/49768small.jpg)
The New Year is a time when many people make resolutions to exercise more, eat better, and be more organized. My resolutions include all of these, but especially getting rid of some stuff around the house my family doesn't need anymore.
Most of us have clutter we've hidden away in closets, drawers, garages, or in other storage space. Although you may not have the time or energy to go through these excess “stuff” and cluttered areas, I have an incentive for you: pest reduction and prevention.
If one of your resolutions is being more organized and get rid of unneeded items in your house, consider how it could help you also reduce the possibility of encountering the following...
