I've been hearing people say the aphids are really bad this year. While we can't confirm whether that is true, I know my roses are covered! There are many ways aphids can be controlled in the garden and landscape. Naturally occurring insects such as lady beetles, syrphid flies, and lacewings all eat aphids and other soft-bodied insects. Depending on proper plant care, you can prune off heavily infested plant parts on certain plants.

One of my favorite methods of controlling aphids is to hose them off my roses with water. You can buy a special nozzle for the job, but it's not necessary. Just adjust your regular spray nozzle to the desired spray and force and blast your sturdy plants with water. The strong blast will damage the...

Soil solarization is a method home gardeners and farmers can use to manage soilborne pests such as weeds, disease pathogens, nematodes and insects. Solarization can reduce help reduce pesticides used to control these pests.

Soil solarization is simple: prepare the site, water it a bit, then cover the soil with clear plastic for an extended period of time to allow the sun to heat the soil to temperatures lethal to a wide range of pests.

Learn more about this process in our recently updated Pest Notes: Soil Solarization for Gardens & Landscapes, by authors Jim Stapleton, Cheryl Wilen, and Richard Molinar of the University of California Cooperative...