Pests in the Urban Landscape

Every year, invasive pests cause billions of dollars of damage to California agricultural systems and natural areas. These pests can be weeds, plant pathogens, insects, vertebrates, shellfish and other aquatic species.

Originally posted on the UC Master Gardener Program Statewide Blog During the holiday season many plants, cut flowers and flowering bulbs are used as decoration and given as gifts. Many of these items can be poisonous to both humans and pets with long-term negative effects to one's health.

Recent rainfall and cool weather in many parts of the state are favorable for mushrooms that you may have been seeing in lawns. While they may be a surprising sight, mushroom-producing fungi are generally not considered to be a pest because most do not cause lawn diseases.

The black fig fly is a new invasive species recently found in Southern California. It has been found in fig orchards in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura counties. This small insect attacks only figs and prefers unripe or unpollinated fruit.

It's #GivingTuesday!- a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals to celebrate generosity worldwide.