- Author: Anne Schellman
- Contributor: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
Did you know that every 60 days, a new and potentially damaging invasive species enters California?
California residents can help in the fight against invasive species by learning and participating next week (June 2-10) in the California Invasive Species Action Week.
What is an invasive species?
Invasive species are non-native plants, animals, or pathogens that can cause economic or environmental harm. These invading species can damage:
- Native plants and animals—especially those that are endangered
- Agriculture—both farming and ranching operations
- The...
May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month, giving us an opportunity to shine a spotlight on a serious illness transmitted by certain ticks.
Lyme disease is often associated with the northeastern and upper Midwestern areas of the United States. However, the disease has been found in some northern California counties, which means the risk of contracting the disease is possible in California.
Lyme disease can be transmitted to humans and pets through the bite of infected ticks. In California, the tick capable of transmitting Lyme disease is the western blacklegged...
California ground squirrels are common throughout much of California and may be found living near homes, structures, gardens, and landscapes where they can be a real nuisance. Ground squirrels' damaging habits can include:
- Eating vegetable seedlings and green grasses
- Damaging young shrubs, vines, and trees by gnawing on and girdling trunks
- Eating twigs and leaves
- Burrowing in lawns and landscapes and around tree roots
- Gnawing on plastic sprinkler heads and irrigation lines
Effective ground squirrel management methods vary during the year. In winter, manage populations before breeding seasons begins. Visit the UC IPM publication
[From the May 2017 issue of the UC IPM Green Bulletin]
The bronze bug (Thaumastocoris peregrinus) (Fig. 1), a serious and potentially damaging, sap-sucking insect pest of eucalypts, has very recently been detected in southern California. This pest is reported to destroy extensive areas of leaf tissue, often giving it a bronze tint, turning it yellow, red, and then brown to tan. Damage from the bronze bug eventually leads to leaf loss, canopy thinning, branch die back, and even tree death. A wide host range and its ability to survive in a variety of...
/span>[From the May 2017 issue of the UC IPM Retail Newsletter]
Keeping backyard chickens is becoming increasingly popular in residential areas around California. Your store may be selling pre-made chicken coops, feed, or other accessories, or you may be getting questions about rodent pests in chicken houses.
Chicken coops are sometimes associated with mild to serious rodent infestations. Rodents, such as rats and house mice, are not only predators of chickens and eggs, they can carry and transmit many diseases to both chickens and humans. For rodents, as well as most pests in and around the home and garden,...
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