If you've ever had ants come indoors, you know what a nuisance they can be when they crawl across kitchen countertops, invade your pet's food bowl, and get into garbage cans.
So, what should you do? Outsmart the ants.
Ants are usually looking for food, water and shelter. Although spraying a pesticide may seem like an easy solution, this won't get rid of the reason the ants are there, and they will be back.
Instead, here are some other things you can do to keep them out and make your house less attractive to ants:
- Find where the ants are entering, then caulk cracks and crevices both indoors and out.
- Wipe up ant trails with soapy water as soon as you see them.
- Store food...
If you have ants climbing up and down trees and shrubs in your landscape, and your trees and shrubs appear to have a sticky substance covering their leaves, you'll want to watch UC IPM's newest YouTube video, “Using a Sticky Barrier to Prevent Ants on Trees and Shrubs”.
The short video explains that the sticky substance on your leaves is honeydew, a sugary substance excreted by aphids, psyllids and a few other plant pests. Ants harvest this...
Every summer, a handful of insect pests can become a real nuisance when they invade your space, bite, or sting you. Whether you take a staycation or a vacation, you'll want to watch our videos for tips on how to deal with these pests when you encounter them.
1 Ants: What to do if you have an ant emergency
2 Bed bugs: Don't bring bed bugs home when you travel!
3 Mosquitoes:...
/h2>/h2>/h2>Download the free booklet at the bottom of the page!
1. Ants
Most people deal with ants around their home at some point. Because most ants live outdoors, focus efforts on keeping ants from entering buildings by caulking entryways. Follow good sanitation practices to make your home less attractive to ants. Spraying ants inside the home will not prevent more ants from entering. Use baits to control the ant colony. Pesticide baits work by attracting worker ants who then take the poison back to the nest where the entire colony, including queens, can be killed. In the landscape, ants protect...
/h2>- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
There have been 17 Asian citrus psyllid finds in various parts of Tulare County recently, bringing the county-wide total to 384. The finds were mostly in residential areas in the county, but several were from groves and a juice plant. The Tulare County grower liaisons are working with grove owners to address the finds in and near commercial groves.
The Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program asks homeowners and growers to remain diligent and monitor their trees regularly for this devastating pest.
Please review the University of California recommendations for how to effectively respond if a psyllid were to be found in your backyard tree.
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