Figuring out what's wrong with your plant takes a little detective work. Plants can look unhealthy for a number of reasons, including diseases, pest insects, or even environmental conditions like sunburn, too much water, not enough water, wind damage, and other issues. Start by examining the plant closely for anything out of place. Knowing what the plant should look like will help you determine if there's a problem. Because some pests attack only specific plants, identifying the type of plant, including the variety or cultivar, narrows down disease possibilities.

Diseases caused by a plant pathogen, like a fungus, will look and act differently than something caused by...

The UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Urban & Community Program is excited to present a new monthly webinar series that is free and open to the public. Presenters will share helpful pest management information for California residents. Topics will vary each month, covering landscape pest management, household pests, rodent identification, understanding pesticides, management for weeds, invasive pests and more. 

The first webinar topic is What is Integrated Pest Management? The webinar will be held Thursday, March 18 from 1:00-2:00pm PDT. Click...

February is a month where we celebrate and acknowledge many things: Black History Month, Valentine's Day, Groundhog Day, President's Day, and others. But did you know February is also National Pesticide Safety Education Month? While pesticide safety is important year round, we at UC IPM are taking time to reinforce this topic to help those who use pesticides stay safe.

Pesticides used in gardens, landscapes, and around the home include store bought products, aerosol bug sprays, weed killers (herbicides), concentrated or ready-to-use products, and even home-made mixtures used for killing pests.

Basic Pesticide Safety

1. Read the...