Termite Awareness Week (March 16-22) is a campaign created by the National Pest Management Association to call attention to the damage termites can cause to structures and to make sure homeowners understand how to prevent and deal with termite infestations.
Did you know?
- Of the 23 species of termites in California, only three are considered pests. The three pest species are dampwood, drywood, and subterranean termites.
- Subterranean termites are the most common in California. They can be found infesting wood that is in contact with the soil, including structural lumber in homes and landscapes, as...
March 20-26 is National Poison Prevention Week. Every third week in March, the Poison Prevention Week Council holds this event to highlight the dangers of poisonings and how to prevent them and ensure the safety of children and adults.
Pesticides are a common types of poison that are found in many people's homes. Poisoning can happen when pesticides are not stored correctly and/or disposed of properly. Here are a few tips for keeping people and pets safe:
- Products should be kept tightly capped in a locked cabinet, out of the reach of children and pets.
- Always keep pesticides in their original container.
- Never dispose of...
Every spring, we see pictures and artwork of adorable Easter bunnies-- cute, little rabbits that deliver gifts of chocolate and other goodies to our children.
However, while “bunny rabbits” are cute, rabbits can also be very destructive pests year-round in the garden and landscape. This is especially true if your home is near wild or uncultivated lands, parks, or greenbelts. These places provide resting and hiding cover during the day for rabbits.
Rabbits can damage ornamental plants, vegetable plants, herbs, trees, and berry crops. They also gnaw and cut plastic irrigation lines, especially small diameter tubes.
There are eight species of rabbits found in California. Three of them are widespread and...
Spring is a good time to begin monitoring for any lawn insect pests. Pest examples include various root, crown and leaf-feeding caterpillars, grubs like masked chafers, billbugs and chinch bugs.
Although insects can be serious pests of lawns, lawn damage is more frequently due to lack of proper cultural care and/or improper grass species selection for your area. An unhealthy lawn is more easily attacked by insects, weeds and diseases.
Insects are sometimes are blamed for lawn damage when the culprit may actually be disease-causing pathogens, dog urine, or abiotic causes such as leaving an item on the lawn for some time and inappropriate use of garden chemicals such as fertilizers and herbicides.
It's important to...
Weeds can be found in just about every lawn. Weeds are not only unattractive to some people, but they compete with turfgrass for water and nutrients. But did you know that weeds are seldom a problem in well-managed, vigorously growing lawns?
Why Does Your Lawn Have Weeds?
Most lawns fall prey to weeds due to poor maintenance practices that weaken it. The three main factors likely to weaken lawns are improper irrigation, fertilization, or mowing.
In order to know how to manage weeds correctly, you'll need to identify the weeds and understand their life cycle. Certain weeds are associated with conditions such as compacted soil, overwatering, and poor drainage.
Weed Management
The newly updated...
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