What do Asian citrus psyllids, Bagrada bugs, brown marmorated stink bugs, palm weevils, and polyphagous shothole borers have in common? Not only are they invasive pests relatively new to California, but they have also been added to the newly revised ANR publication, Pests of Landscape Trees and Shrubs.

Now in its third edition, this integrated pest management (IPM) how-to guide is a comprehensive resource for arborists, home gardeners, landscapers, parks and ground managers, and retail nurseries. It contains solutions for hundreds of insects, mites, nematodes, plant disorders and diseases, and weeds that can damage California...

Scientists are rearing tiny Asian wasps in quarantine and evaluating whether they can be released in California to battle brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), an invasive pest that poses a serious threat to the state's $54 billion agricultural industry, they reported in the current issue of California Agriculture journal.

The wasp, Trissolcus japonicus, has scientists feeling hopeful, said Chuck Ingels, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in Sacramento County and one of the 10 authors of the article. Ingels and a team of UC and California Department of Food and...

On June 3, 2004, a small trickle of water started to flow through a levee on the Jones Tract, a patch of farmland west of Stockton that sits below sea level. Of California's 27 million acres of irrigated croplands, the tract's 12,000 acres weren't exactly at the forefront of anyone's mind. But within a few hours the rivulet had become a deluge, opening a 350-foot-long gash in the wall that was built to hold back the waters of the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. The land quickly became a lake, submerging asparagus fields, corn silos, and dozens of homes beneath 60 million gallons of water. Repairing the break required six months of constant pumping and cost approximately $100 million; farmers throughout the Central Valley, who depend...

Many people have heard the well-publicized admonitions to “Buy it where you burn it” or “Don't pack a pest!” But why does it matter? Exotic pests (including plants and insects) are continually being introduced into California's landscapes, farms and natural habitats from plants sold in nurseries, transported firewood, fruits and vegetables, and even in an unsuspecting person's luggage.

According to the Center for Invasive Species Research (CISR) at UC Riverside, “California acquires one new exotic species, on average, every 60 days. At this rate, around six new species establish in California each year. Estimated losses arising from the uncontrolled...