- 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.
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- 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!
- Author: Cheryl A. Wilen
Save May 19th 2011 for the Annual IPM for Professional Landscapers Meeting.
This year we will be trying a new venue - The Chula Vista Nature Center. While Chula Vista may sound far, it's really only 15 min. south of the the where we held the meeting the last 3 years.
We are planning on starting a 8am and going to 3pm. Admission to the Center is included so after the meeting at 3pm you can go watch them feed the sharks and rays and at 3:30 they feed the birds.
- Author: Cheryl A. Wilen
In the interest of disclosure, I am a vegetarian. It's not a fad, I haven't intentionally eaten meat, chicken, fish or seafood for nearly 40 years. And when I found out that that red grapefruit juice is often colored with dye from squashed cochineal beetles I stopped drinking that too.
But what other foods use it? Until now, dye from the cochineal beetle (actually it's a scale insect) only needed to be listed as something like “coloring added.” Starting today (1/5/11), foods and cosmetics must list the ingredient as cochineal extract or carmine.
The need for disclosure came about not so much as as a deep seated desire to notify vegetarians (or people who have religion-based dietary restrictions) but rather allergic responses to the dye. The FDA reports that there are about 31 "adverse effects" each year that are known to be attributable to cochineal extract.
What is this cochineal insect? If you have seen prickly pear (Opuntia) cactus, you have probably seen this insect. They are often covered in a white fluffy mass so it could be mistaken for mealybugs.
Rubbing the mass will result in a red-dyed finger. It generally will not cause the cactus to die (no pun intended!) but will be cosmetically unsightly in a landscape. My recommendation is that unless it is a MAJOR problem on your cactus, it should not be chemically treated or otherwise controlled. You will be facing a losing battle. You can spray them off with a strong stream of water. If it is really covering the pads, you can use insecticidal soap.
FYI: in some places certain cochineal species are used as a biocontrol agent for invasive Opuntia.
As a point of interest, there is a similar insect, cactus scale, that can be found on prickly pear.
Note that this kind of scale does not produce the red dye or fluffy wax coating.
Bon appetit!
- Author: Cheryl A. Wilen
First of all, I cannot tell you how important it is for you NOT to put out traps. There is a lot of information online about these traps but when people start putting them out, it completely messes up the detection program that the state is conducting.
Having said that, if you see any of the following things on or near a Canary Island Date Palm please contact the following:
CDFA Pest Hotline at 1-800-491-1899 or go to the
CDFA's Report A Pest website at: www.cdfa.ca.gov/go/reportapest
Also , the adult is a rather clumsy, slow moving flier. If you think you see something like a large bumblebee around a Canary Island palm, it may actually be a RPW. If would probably be helpful to report that also.
Hold your cursor over the photo for a description (if the photo is not self-evident).