Centipedes and millipedes are most often seen in yards and gardens, sometimes finding their way into houses. They are not insects, but they belong to the same group in the animal kingdom as insects and crustaceans.
While centipedes have 1 pair of legs per body segment, millipedes have 2 or 4 pairs of legs per body segment. Centipedes move more quickly than millipedes and are more prone to biting.
In the garden, centipedes are typically found in dark, damp areas under stones or mulch. House centipedes are so named because they are mainly encountered indoors. All centipedes are beneficial arthropods, feeding on insects. Millipedes live and feed on rotting leaves and other moist, decaying plant...
- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
When using any kind of pesticide, including herbicides, it's important to read the pesticide label carefully and to be sure that you have the proper equipment for applying the pesticide correctly and safely. You will need certain clothing to protect yourself from the unwanted effects of acute (immediate) and chronic (long-term) exposure, even when applying organic or lesser-toxic pesticides.
Personal protective equipment, or PPE, is the term used for clothing and eyewear that act as a barrier between your body and the pesticide. However, for home use pesticide products, PPE is not always listed on the label—some simply say to avoid contact with eyes, skin, or clothing. So how do you know what to wear?
Before using...
- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
[Originally published in the Winter 2019 issue of the Green Bulletin]
What is UC IPM?
UC IPM is a statewide program within the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. We are dedicated to helping all Californians manage pests around the home, in the landscape, on the farm, in schools, and even on the pet. Our philosophy focuses on long-term prevention of pests or their damage through using a combination of techniques such as building out pests, modifying maintenance practices, excluding pests, using...
/h2>/span>- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
You've probably heard it's important to read the label on a pesticide bottle, but you might not know why or what to even look for on the label.
Pesticide labels are legal documents providing directions on how to mix, apply, store, and dispose of a pesticide product. This means that using a pesticide in a manner inconsistent with its labeling is a violation of federal law. Make sure you always...
- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
It's not often that we get to mix baseball and pests in our blog, but today we learned that the San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds game was delayed by almost 20 minutes due to swarming bees.
You can read different takes on this story from the Washington Post, NBC News, and on the Major League Baseball website, and see as one Reds player pretended to spray a pesticide to kill the bees.
In a practical...