- 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
February is a month where we celebrate and acknowledge many things: Black History Month, Valentine's Day, Groundhog Day, President's Day, and others. But did you know February is also National Pesticide Safety Education Month? While pesticide safety is important year round, we at UC IPM are taking time to reinforce this topic to help those who use pesticides stay safe.
Pesticides used in gardens, landscapes, and around the home include store bought products, aerosol bug sprays, weed killers (herbicides), concentrated or ready-to-use products, and even home-made mixtures used for killing pests.
Basic Pesticide Safety
