- Author: Dong-Hwan Choe
- Author: Kathleen Campbell
- Author: Michael K Rust
- Posted by: Elaine Lander
Many parks, recreational areas, and outdoor venues in California are home to yellowjacket wasps (Vespula spp.). Yellowjackets are commonly attracted to human food items, creating a serious nuisance and a potential stinging threat. If found, nests (usually underground) can be effectively treated with targeted insecticide applications (e.g., dusts containing pyrethroids). However, baiting could be a feasible alternative method to suppress yellowjackets over a wide area, especially if nests cannot be located. Currently, only one active ingredient (esfenvalerate) is registered for use within bait in California to control yellowjackets,...
(Credit: K Windbiel-Rojas)
Plantains are common weeds in lawns, athletic fields, ornamental plantings, roadsides, and pastures. Two species, broadleaf and buckhorn plantains (Plantago major and P. lanceolate) are commonly found throughout California year-round.
Plantains grow well in irrigated turf and lawns that are frequently mowed since they grow low to the ground. They can be a major pest for turfgrass managers since they grow in dense clumps, creating both an aesthetic and tripping hazard in turf. When plantains infest ornamental plantings, they can crowd out desired plants.
These weeds are difficult to control because they can resprout from the crown, even after it's cut off. Early removal of seedlings before they...
- Author: Elaine Lander
It's often easier to prevent pests before they become a problem than to try and get rid of them once they infest a home. While some pests can be active year-round, cooler temperatures trigger some pests to find shelter indoors.
Creatures such as rats or insects are typically looking for food, water, and shelter. Eliminate or reduce access to these resources to deter pests. There are a variety of tools that are readily available which can help block or limit a pest's entrance into the home. Here are a few suggestions to prevent creatures from stirring in your home this season.
Rats,
- Author: Niamh Quinn
- Posted by: Elaine Lander
Trapping is the safest and most effective method for controlling rats and mice in and around homes, garages, and other structures. Rodents that live in close association with humans are called commensal rodents. Rats and mice are the most frequently encountered commensal rodents in California.
Selecting the correct trap
Before trapping, make sure you know what rodent pest you have. It is a very common mistake to select the wrong size trap when you have not yet determined whether you have mice or rats (and the correctly identified rat species).
You will not catch a rat with a mouse trap, and you will not catch a mouse with a rat trap. To determine...
- Author: Elaine Lander
At some point, all of us encounter a pest in our home, garden, or landscape. But you're not alone! UC IPM publishes Pest Notes – a series of more than 150 papers reviewed by experts in the field – to provide science-based information about pests and their management.
These ten Pest Notes were the most frequently viewed online in 2019, with more than 330,000 total pageviews. While it's not a contest, we like to think these are the winners of 2019's most popular pests.
1. Aphids
These small, soft-bodied insects can multiply rapidly, especially in warm weather. Many species exist in...
