![Buy it where you burn it!](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/UCIPMurbanpests/blogfiles/107591small.png)
What you do with firewood this upcoming 4th of July (and year-round!) can impact more than just the s'mores on your campfire. If you move firewood around the state, you could spread deadly plant diseases and invasive insects. Don't take firewood with you if you travel or camp this holiday weekend.
Bringing firewood from home, even dry, aged, and seasoned wood, can spread pests. Once you arrive at your destination, pests can emerge from the firewood and spread to the surrounding area. Invasive pests like the emerald ash borer, shothole borers, and
- Author: Lauren Fordyce
![A freshly made bed with white sheets and striped pillows.](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/UCIPMurbanpests/blogfiles/107483small.jpg)
As vacation season begins, people will be traveling much more in the coming months. Whether you'll be staying at a hotel, hostel, motel, rental home, or summer camp, you should always be on the lookout for bed bugs. A bed bug check takes only a few minutes to complete and can give you and your family peace of mind when staying at new places.
Bed bugs are small insects, but big enough to see with the naked eye. They are oval shaped, wingless, and reddish brown. Bed bugs feed only on human blood, usually at nighttime while we are sleeping.
It's important to remember that bed bugs can occur anywhere and are not always an indication of poor hygiene or care. Bed bugs can be moved to new places on furniture, luggage,...
- Author: Lauren Fordyce
![A silver, stainless steel pail with a handle and lid sitting on a kitchen counter.](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/UCIPMurbanpests/blogfiles/106858small.jpg)
Indoor food waste bins (also known as kitchen bins or compost bins) have become a popular addition to Californian homes. They are a great way to collect food scraps and divert food waste from landfills, but they can sometimes attract pest insects like maggots, ants, and fruit flies. Below are some tips for keeping a pest-free food waste bin:
- Empty and clean indoor food waste bins frequently. Dump the food waste into your outdoor compost pile, drop it off at a composting facility, or place it into your municipal green waste bin. Emptying your indoor bin frequently (even if it's not full) can make it less attractive to pests and...
- Author: Lauren Fordyce
![Information on the pesticide active ingredient neem oil. From the UC IPM Pesticide Active Ingredient Database.](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/UCIPMurbanpests/blogfiles/106594small.png)
The University of California Statewide IPM Program (UC IPM) has an exciting, newly updated resource to help you better understand pesticide active ingredients and the risks different active ingredients pose to people and the environment.
The Pesticide Active Ingredient Database is designed for urban audiences including the general public, Master Gardeners, nursery and garden center staff, pest control operators, landscapers, and more. The active ingredients included in this database can be found in many commonly available pesticide products in California. The database contains a variety of pesticide types, including...
- Author: Lauren Fordyce
![A close up of two green pesticide bottles.](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/UCIPMurbanpests/blogfiles/104911small.png)
If you've used disinfecting wipes to clean surfaces in your home, an herbicide to control weeds in your garden, or insect repellents while on a hike, then you have used a pesticide. A pesticide is any material (natural, organic, synthetic, or even homemade remedies) that is used to control, prevent, kill, or repel a pest. Pesticides are designed to be toxic against certain pests like weeds, insects, or bacteria. But when they are not used properly, pesticides can also be toxic to people and pets, and harm the environment including water quality, pollinators, and natural enemies.
February is National Pesticide Safety Education Month, a time to raise awareness about...