- Author: Belinda J. Messenger-Sikes
- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
Weeds are usually thought of as native plants we don't want in areas such as landscapes, fields, or vegetable gardens either because they reduce economic output or they are considered aesthetically displeasing. Invasive plants are generally non-natives that infest natural ecosystems and can become problems.
There are four distinctions between a weed and an invasive plant. The first is how they are introduced to an area. Weedy plants in gardens, landscapes, or in agricultural fields are usually accidentally introduced. While that is sometimes true for invasive plants, they are more often intentionally introduced as ornamental plants, for aquarium use, or for food or fiber...
- Author: Donald R. Hodel
- Posted by: Elaine Lander
Damage and...
- Author: Elaine Lander
If you are growing tomatoes in your garden, you may not be the only vertebrate going for your hard earned harvest. Are rats feasting away in the garden? We have a couple resources we can share to help you reduce or prevent rat damage to your tomatoes.
Integrated Pest Management for Rats
- Our Pest Notes: Rats has information to help you with identification, biology and IPM options.
- This blog post provides additional information on using snap traps to catch rats and mice.
- If you are managing a school or community garden, you can...
- Author: Elaine Lander
Brooms are shrubs which were originally planted in California as ornamentals and for erosion control, but are now considered to be invasive weeds since they are highly competitive. They crowd out native plants and form impenetrable barriers to wildlife. There are four common species of broom in California: Scotch broom, French broom, Spanish broom and Portuguese broom.
In the newly revised Pest Notes: Brooms, UCCE advisor Scott Oneto and UC Davis weed scientists Joe DiTomaso and Guy Kyser explain the issues with planting these invasive species. The publication includes expanded sections on biology and management and updated herbicide...
While some may find them cute, both the Eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and the Eastern fox squirrel (S. nigeri) are actually invasive species in California. They are two of four species of tree squirrels found throughout the state. Regulations regarding management of tree squirrels is complicated, so it is important to be able to identify squirrels to species level.