California Invasive Species Action Week began Saturday, June 5 and runs through Sunday, June 13, 2021. Increasing public awareness of invasive species and their impacts helps protect our natural resources, waterways, native species, agriculture, and health.
UC IPM has several resources on exotic and invasive species as well as information on specific pests both present in California as well as pests that have a high...
You want to protect your family and reduce the risk of harm caused by pests. So do we.
Your gift to the UC IPM Urban and Community Program on Big Dig Day allows us to provide information and resources to help prevent and solve pest problems using safe and effective techniques that protect people and the environment.
We invite you to #DigDeep and click here to donate today. Be sure to select the “Urban and Community fund” designation.
- Author: Amy Murillo
- Posted by: Elaine Lander
Backyard chickens are increasingly being raised as pets, for egg production, and for youth development and science projects. While raising chickens can be an interesting and economically beneficial activity, chickens and other fowl may also have pest problems. Chickens are natural hosts to a variety of arthropod pests (called ectoparasites), including mites, lice, and fleas which feed on chickens and use chicken coops as habitats. These pests may cause discomfort to birds and decrease their egg production. This article aims to help people who keep chickens understand and learn treatment options for the common ectoparasites that can affect their animals.
Lice
The most common pests found on backyard chickens include...
/h2>- 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...
/h2>- Author: Elaine Lander
As the weather warms up, we see more insect activity in gardens and landscapes, and you may also notice more activity of insect pests in your home. Common insect pests found indoors in springtime can include carpet beetles, fleas, fungus gnats, and boxelder bugs.
In our recent post on carpet beetles, we shared that the adults of these beetles prefer to be outdoors but the immature larvae can feed on fabric, carpet, or other natural materials in your home. See our Pest Notes: Carpet Beetles for more management information.
Cat fleas are the most...