June 15-21 is National Pollinator Week, a time to highlight the crucial role that pollinators play in producing food for our nation. Something you may not know about pollinators is that many of them, including beetles, flies, and wasps, are also beneficial natural enemies of many garden and landscape pests!
A good example of a pollinator that is also a natural enemy is the syrphid fly, also known as the flower or hover fly. Syrphid fly larvae prey on aphids and other soft-bodied insects, potentially consuming hundreds of these pests in one month! As adults, syrphid flies move from flower to flower feeding on pollen and nectar, assisting the process of...
Come be a part of a great team!
UC IPM is hiring for an Editor to work with the Urban & Community program editing and laying out educational materials. These materials include a variety of publications such as a large, frequently updated publication series, technical manuscripts written for a lay audience, news and informational pieces, and other documents for print or Web. Our print publications are distributed to end users throughout California and documents on the UC IPM Web site receive more than 10,000 page views daily.
The application period closes on July 10. Learn more about the position at the links below and apply today!
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The California population of brown marmorated stink bugs, a pest introduced into the state from its native Asia, continues to spread and increase in and around Sacramento, said a UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) expert who appeared today on Capitol Public Radio's Insight program with Beth Ruyak.
Chuck Ingels, UC ANR Cooperative Extension advisor in Sacramento County, said BMSB was first spotted in 2013 in Sacramento and each year the numbers have grown. This year, the warm spring gave BMSB a head start, portending significant...
Sacramento, July 10, 2015 - The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have confirmed detection of the citrus disease known as huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening. The disease was detected in plant material taken from a kumquat tree in a residential neighborhood in the San Gabriel area of Los Angeles County.
This is the second time HLB has been detected in California. The first detection occurred in 2012 in a residential citrus tree in Hacienda Heights, about 15 miles from San Gabriel.
HLB is a bacterial disease that attacks the vascular system of plants. It does not pose a threat to humans or animals. The Asian citrus psyllid can...
- Author: Scott Parker
- Author: Cheryl A. Wilen
The very popular IPM Pest and Weed Identifier Wheels are now available for purchase! The Pest Wheel helps the user identify and manage 12 common pests, including ants, snails, powdery mildew, and scale insects. The Weed Wheel covers 12 common garden and landscape weeds, including crabgrass and yellow nutsedge.
These interactive tools, developed by University of California Cooperative Extension Area IPM Advisor Cheryl Wilen and IPM Community Educator Scott Parker in San Diego County, help to identify each pest and provide pest-specific information, such as locations where the pest may be found, the damage it may cause, any special features of the pest, and least-toxic control options. Each wheel provides this information in both...