- Author: Anne Schellman
- Contributor: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
It may surprise you to learn that California is home to invasive wild pigs, also called feral hogs or wild boars. Wild pigs can be a major nuisance for farmers, ranchers, and others who live in more rural areas or near wildlands. They will invade fields and eat crops, disturb plantings by rooting through the soil, and defecate in fields leaving behind bacteria and parasites.
How did these pigs become wild?
As is the case with many introduced invasive species, wild pigs were an accidental creation. Spanish missionaries brought domestic pigs to California in 1769 for consumption, but after being released for foraging and not recaptured, they escaped domestication and became feral (wild). These feral pigs...
- Author: Anne Schellman
- Contributor: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
Did you know that every 60 days, a new and potentially damaging invasive species enters California?
California residents can help in the fight against invasive species by learning and participating next week (June 2-10) in the California Invasive Species Action Week.
What is an invasive species?
Invasive species are non-native plants, animals, or pathogens that can cause economic or environmental harm. These invading species can damage:
- Native plants and animals—especially those that are endangered
- Agriculture—both farming and ranching operations
- The...
Domestic pigs are a familiar farm animal, but have you heard about wild pigs? These animals are destructive pests with voracious appetites and eat a wide variety of plants and animals. It's estimated wild pigs cause $1.5 billion in economic damage to agriculture and the environment in California every year!
Where Did They Come From?
Domestic pigs were released in California in 1769 to be raised for consumption. Some of these pigs were not recaptured and became feral. In the 1920's, Russian wild boars were brought to California for sport hunting. Since both types of pigs belong to the same species, they interbred. Their descendants are called wild pigs.
Why are They a Problem?
Male wild pigs can weigh...
/h2>/h2>- Author: Anne Schellman
- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
Now is the time to prepare your garden and landscape for winter. The simple tasks recommended below will help prevent perennial weeds, insect pests, and certain disease pathogens so these problems don't get established and become difficult later.
Weeds
- Manage weeds using nonchemical methods such as cultivation, handweeding, or mowing.
- Prevent weeds using competitive plants, mulches, and hand removal.
- Herbicides (weed killers) are rarely needed in established landscape plantings when nonchemical controls are used regularly.
To learn more about managing weeds, see the UC IPM Pest Note: Weed...
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...