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...
- Author: Niamh Quinn
[From the November 2015 issue of the UC IPM Retail Nursery and Garden Center IPM News]
Read Part 2 of this article.
California is home to several species of squirrels, which can be divided into three groups: tree squirrels, ground squirrels, and flying squirrels.
Ground squirrels have been identified as the most common vertebrate pest in agricultural areas, but...
/span>- Author: Cheryl Reynolds
The UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (UC IPM) put together a 26-page card set in English and Spanish on understanding pesticide labels. Intended for pesticide handlers, applicators, safety trainers, and pest control advisers (PCAs), the cards explain when to read the label, describe what kind of information can be found in each section of a pesticide label, and point out specific instruction areas so that applicators can apply pesticides safely and avoid illegal pesticide residues.
Traces of pesticide residue are normal and even expected after pesticides are applied to food crops, but by the time produce is ready to be sold,...
- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
- Author: Missy Gable
Conenose or ‘kissing bugs' (Triatoma spp.) have received a good deal of press from CBS Sacramento and other media outlets in recent weeks. Although not a new insect to California or the U.S., we thought readers might benefit from some guidance and information on these bugs in case one should encounter these seldom seen insects.
Conenose bugs can vector a protozoan, Trypanosoma cruzi, that causes Chagas disease in humans. While conenose bugs do bite humans, the protozoan is transmitted via the bug's feces, rather than through bites.
Conenose bugs are in the...
Thanksgiving is a time to gather together with family and friends. The occasion is usually centered around a big meal followed by pumpkin pie, and hopefully some time to let each person share a list of what they are most grateful for that year.
Here at UC IPM, we are adding beneficial insects to our “thankful” list! These helpful invertebrates (also called natural enemies) are often overlooked for the contribution they make to gardens and landscapes.
Natural enemies, such as spiders and certain mites and insects, can help reduce the number of pests in your garden. It's possible that part of the reason they are overlooked is because...