- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
- Author: Belinda J. Messenger-Sikes
Instructions for making homemade mixtures to control pests are easy to find online and in social media, and it's tempting to make your own home remedy when pests invade. Doing so may seem like a natural, organic, and non-chemical solution, but did you know that what you are mixing is considered a pesticide? A pesticide is any mixture used to kill, destroy, repel, or mitigate a pest.
Pesticide mixtures of household ingredients like dish soap, garlic, and vinegar (Figure 1) may seem harmless and safer than storebought formulated pesticides, but they can actually pose unrealized risks.
What is the concern with homemade pesticides?
While ingredients in home remedies are items we might eat or use in the kitchen, the...
Register now for the Urban & Community IPM webinars! All webinar information and registration links are available on our webinar website. Webinars are the third Thursday of every month from 1:00-2:00pm Pacific time. Webinars are free and open to the public but you must register in advance.
Upcoming webinars:
- April 15: Learn about the resources on the UC IPM website. Click here to register.
- May 20: Learn about household pests. Click here to...
![Beneficial syrphid fly adult on purple flower. [Credit: Jack Kelly Clark]](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/UCIPMurbanpests/blogfiles/78444small.jpg)
The UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Urban & Community Program is excited to present a new monthly webinar series that is free and open to the public. Presenters will share helpful pest management information for California residents. Topics will vary each month, covering landscape pest management, household pests, rodent identification, understanding pesticides, management for weeds, invasive pests and more.
The first webinar topic is What is Integrated Pest Management? The webinar will be held Thursday, March 18 from 1:00-2:00pm PDT. Click...
- Author: Elaine Lander
(Credit: Jack Kelly Clark)
Beneficial insects can provide a lot of support in the garden. Natural enemies, which include predators, parasites, and pathogens, reduce pest populations and can help prevent damage to plants. Pollinators such as honeybees, native bees, butterflies, beetles, and other insects are essential for many vegetables you may be growing.
Natural Enemies
You may not have noticed many of these parasites, pathogens, and predators that help control pests in the garden, but they are there! Lady beetles (ladybugs), lacewings, and predaceous ground beetles are some common predators that you may find in your garden...
- Author: Donald R. Hodel
- Posted by: Elaine Lander
