Pests in the Urban Landscape

In the last two years, California has experienced a surge of invasive fruit fly infestations. Invasive fruit fly outbreaks endanger our state’s agriculture and economy, as well as homegrown fruits and veggies. They can infest many different fruit, nut, and vegetable crops. Adults lay their eggs under the…

Mosquito season is in full swing in California, and the deadly West Nile virus is making its way around the state. Health officials have identified the virus in 17 counties and there has been 1 confirmed human death so far this year. West Nile virus is one of several diseases that can be transmitted to…

Dogs use their keen sense of smell to help humans every day. Their powerful noses alert us to danger, aid in search and rescue operations, and even have the potential to diagnose diseases. But did you know that some dogs have been trained to sniff out potential invasive pests? Enter—the detector dogs! …

The dotted paropsine leaf beetle (Paropsis atomaria), an invasive pest native to Australia, was first discovered in California in 2022 and is rapidly spreading throughout Southern California targeting eucalyptus trees. Both adult beetles and their larvae feed on eucalyptus leaves, causing significant…

Tumbleweeds rolling across the landscape may make you think of classic old Western movies, but tumbleweeds, or Russian thistle, is more common today than you might think. This invasive plant can grow anywhere the soil is disturbed and once it matures, it breaks off its stem and the dried plant blows across…