The sight of deer in the wild can be delightful but when these animals invade your garden, devouring everything in sight, people's ideas might change. The internet is full of advice for ridding your garden of deer, but beware, much of it is ineffective.
In the newly revised Pest Notes: Deer, author and retired Wildlife Specialist Robert Timm, shares detailed deer management methods proven by UC research to be effective. Pest management works best when you understand the pest's biology and behavior, so new information about the range of the different deer...
- Author: Elaine Lander
It has been rumored that Ben Franklin proposed the turkey as the national bird and symbol of our nation. Whether this is true or not, there is evidence that Franklin thought highly of this holiday bird. In a letter to his daughter, Franklin called the turkey a “respectable bird…though a little vain & silly, [he is] a bird of courage and would not hesitate to attack.”
In California, wild turkeys have started to become more common sightings in our communities. Some Californians may enjoy watching wildlife, but others find them to be quite the nuisance. Wild turkeys foraging for food in residential areas can destroy landscapes and gardens, leave their...
Licensed pest management professionals:
The Vertebrate Pest Council is hosting a seminar series this year in conjunction with new partner Target Specialty Products. Don't miss this unique opportunity to learn about wildlife management of a number of bird and mammalian species from staff at the University of California, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Department of Food and Agriculture, the Department of Pesticide Regulation and more!
Both structural and DPR continuing education units are available and Vector CEUs have been approved for some venues. For more information on these workshops, hosted in Sacramento, Oxnard, Anaheim and Visalia this year, please check out
- Author: Niamh Quinn
It is important for food-safety reasons to manage rats in school and community gardens. Rats and other wildlife can carry a number of diseases that can be deposited in the form of urine and feces on fruit, vegetables, and in the soil. Rats can also directly damage fruit and vegetables by consuming the produce entirely or by gnawing on parts of it and making it unfit for human consumption. Norway rats create burrows that can compromise beds and root systems. While rats can also chew on drip irrigation and damage the tubes, it is more common for some other wildlife species to chew on these.
Managing rodents in and around school and community gardens can be difficult. One of the easiest ways to keep many rodents at bay is to remove...