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.

Read more...

Seeing ants inside your house lately? As Californians enjoy the long-awaited rainfall, something linked to rain is not as welcome: ants.

Ants often enter buildings seeking food and water, warmth and shelter, or refuge from dry, hot weather or flooded conditions. They may appear suddenly in buildings if other food sources become unavailable or weather conditions change.

One such ant we see headed indoors during rainy conditions in California, is the Argentine ant. The Argentine ant is about 1/8 of an inch long and dull brown in color. It's normally found living in the landscape in shallow nests, and might even be living just outside your building. When rainy weather floods their nest, Argentine ants may use your home or...

The summer is winding down, but many warm-weather pests, like whiteflies are still going strong. Whiteflies are tiny white insects commonly found in vegetable garden and landscape plantings in large numbers. Often they fly around plants when disturbed, which is when people first notice them.

Despite their name, whiteflies are not true flies but are actually related to aphids, scales and mealybugs. Like these insects, whiteflies cause damage when they suck plant juices from leaves, which yellow or die off. Whiteflies excrete excess liquid called honeydew that is sticky, and may be covered with black sooty mold. The honeydew also attracts ants, which disrupt naturally-occurring

This summer, the media frequently reported an increase in the density of pests in the home and landscape. The drought has been cited as the cause of these problems. Pest control companies quoted in articles confirm that the demand for their services is much higher this year than in years past.

Many people are asking, “Why are there so many more pests this year than usual?” According to Dr. Andrew Sutherland, the urban Integrated Pest Management Advisor for the San Francisco Bay Area, we are asking the wrong question. “The overall abundance of pests probably hasn't changed and may even have decreased as compared to wet years. The real questions we should be asking are ‘Why are these pests appearing earlier...