- Author: Cheryl A. Wilen
I was playing with our new puppy today and was rolling around on the back yard with her. As it turns out, there is also a birdbath where we were playing and I happened to look up when I was under it and found a bunch of burr-like sacs underneath. 
Photo by Rick Vetter
These are egg sacs of the brown widow spider and the sacs are so distinctive, that even I knew what they were. Here is what they look like to me:
I even found the spider itself and have to say it was a lot smaller and more delicate than what I expected. Even though its overall size is about the size of a quarter, the body is tiny, like a drop of water.
Photo by Rick Vetter
- Author: Cheryl A. Wilen
The IR4 Program helps expand pesticide labels for use in minor crops such as ornamental plant production.
Western US issues are often put in at a lower rank because growers in the east and midwest participate more in priority setting surveys including the one I link to below.
If you want to have a say in what products are going to have targeted testing, you NEED to fill out this survey.
Participate today in the Grower & Extension Survey:
The survey is available on the IR-4 Website.
Preliminary Survey Results:
Top 3 plant disease categories:
1. Crown and root diseases (not caused by water molds)
2. Bacterial diseases
3. Powdery mildews
Top 3 pest categories:
1. Thrips
2. Mites and spider mites
2. Borers and beetles
Top 3 weeds:
1. Liverwort
2. Bittercress
3. Spurge
- Posted By: Cheryl A. Wilen
- Written by: Cheryl Wilen, Area Integrated Pest Management Advisor
I don't want anyone to miss out on my latest post even if it's somewhere else. I just put something up of the UC WEED SCIENCE blog. See "Summer means polarized sunglasses" http://ucanr.org/blogs/UCDWeedScience/index.cfm
I also want to alert you to a meeting coming up on August 27 at the South Coast Research and Extension Center in Irvine.
Pitahaya (Dragon Fruit) Festival and Field Day
I'll be talking about Pitahaya IPM (Gophers, Birds, Snails and Weeds).
See the EVENTS section on the right side of the San Diego UCCE web page or go directly to it here.
- Author: Cheryl A. Wilen
Rather than wait until November to finish up your CEUs for your PA, QAL, QAC, or PCA (if you don't know what these are, you don't need to read any further), here are some sites where you can get some online education and get units for free (!!).
First off, UC IPM has developed a set of training modules:
IPM – A Solution for Reducing Pesticides/Water Quality: Pesticide Properties
Learn key elements of an IPM program, when pesticides are necessary, and alternative control methods. Also presented are how properties of a pesticide influence their ability to move into the environment. (1 CEU)
The Impact of Pesticides on Water Quality / Mitigating Urban Pesticide Runoff
Learn how pesticides applied to landscapes can end up in our waterways impacting water quality and aquatic organisms. Included are ten practices to reduce the offsite movement of pesticides and avoid their negative impact on the environment. (1 CEU)
Water Quality and Mitigation: Bifenthrin and Fipronil
Learn about the specific properties of the insecticides bifenthrin and fipronil and practical ways to mitigate their movement. (1 CEU)
You can find them at:
Western Farm Press has a boatload of free (and some not free) courses. I am pretty sure the free ones are sponsored by a company but I have taken some and find that in general, they are not too commercial. You can find them at http://www.pentonag.com/index.php or if that doesn't work, go to the Western Farm Press home page http://westernfarmpress.com/ and then look for the section on Continuing Education Courses.
- Author: Cheryl A. Wilen
The latest edition of the Green Bulletin is out and you can get it at http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/greenbulletin/
The sixth issue features articles on Calibrating Spray Application Equipment, a guide to Common Weeds in Lawns in California, a new and free Online Training for pest management professionals and pesticide applicators, and answers to pesticide application questions in our continuing column, Ask the Expert.
AND...links to Common Weeds in Lawns and Common Turfgrass Species in Spanish.
Check it out!
