- Author: Scott Oneto
[From the July 2015 issue of the UC IPM Retail Nursery and Garden Center IPM News]
A recent find in El Dorado County has weed scientists, land managers, foresters, botanists, and plant conservationists throughout Northern California very excited over a tiny mite.
The broom gall mite has recently been observed attacking the invasive plant Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) in California's natural landscapes. Scotch broom, desired for its bright yellow flowers and rapid growth, was first introduced into North America as an ornamental and for erosion control....
/span>- Author: Steven Swain
- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
[From the July 2015 issue of the UC IPM Retail Nursery and Garden Center IPM News]
Pantry pests sometimes find their way into our homes undetected and can infest stored products like flour, cereal, pasta, dried fruit, nuts, and even pet food. Often, by the time these pests are noticed, they have infested and contaminated foodstuffs and may already be reproducing in your home, making management difficult. Below are some tips to help you clean up, monitor, and prevent pantry pest problems.
What are Pantry Pests?
Beetles and moths are the two...
/span>August 22nd is National Honey Bee Day so we thought we'd repost one of our previous articles that discussed ways gardeners can help protect honey bees.
Author: Dr. Eric Mussen, UC Cooperative Extension Apiculturist
Most people have heard about the decline in honey bees (Figures 1 and 2) during the last several years and want to help. Gardeners and landscapers who want to help protect honey bees can do so by learning more about the factors that cause bee decline and by practicing Integrated Pest Management or IPM.
Better Nutrition, Fewer Pesticides
The actual cause of...
Although most fruit trees are pruned during the dormant season, in areas with wet winters, apricots and cherries should be pruned in late summer to allow time for the pruning wounds to close. Pruning apricots and cherries during the rainy season could lead to detrimental canker diseases.
Cherries, apricots, and a few related species are particularly susceptible to fungal and bacterial canker diseases, including Eutypa dieback, Botryosphaeria canker, and bacterial canker. Pathogens can be spread by rain or tree wounds – such as pruning wounds – during wet weather; subsequent infections spread through the wood for several years and may eventually kill the tree.
Late summer is the best time to do final...
- Author: David Robert Haviland
Over the past few weeks there have been numerous reports of bug invasions near Ridgecrest, Inyokern, and other cities in the high desert of eastern Kern County, California. Residents and business owners have reported large aggregations of bugs within their homes, businesses, and on the streets. There have been no reports of damage to agricultural crops, landscape plants, or people. However, the nuisance and paranoia associated with bugs crawling on business walls and people has led to numerous inquiries into what is going on and how long it will last.
The bugs belong to a family of insects called lygaeids that are commonly referred to as seed bugs. Seed bugs use their straw-like mouthparts to extract...