If you are seeing black and red bugs scurrying about near trees and buildings, they may be boxelder bugs. Boxelder bugs (Boisea rubrolineata) feed on the flowers, leaves and seedpods of female boxelder trees (Acer negundo) and occasionally are found on maple and ash, and sometimes on certain stone fruits and grapes.
Boxelder bugs are often confused with other insects that look similar such as red-shouldered bugs, squash bugs, the bordered plant bug, and leaffooted bugs.
This insect doesn't usually cause significant damage to landscape plants, but when their numbers are high during fall, they can build up on outside walls or sometimes enter houses and may be considered a nuisance.
If you have a...
- Author: Michelle Le Strange
- Author: Carol A Frate
- Author: R. Michael Davis
Wet weather is favorable to mushrooms, which are sometimes called toadstools. Mushrooms are the visible reproductive (fruiting) structures of some types of fungi. Although the umbrella-shaped fruiting body is the most common and well known, mushrooms display a great variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Some other fruiting bodies encountered in lawns include puffballs, stinkhorns, and bird's nests, descriptive names that reveal the diversity of forms among mushrooms. But regardless of shape, the purpose of all fruiting bodies is to house and then disseminate spores, the reproductive units of fungi.
Many people become concerned when mushrooms appear in their lawns; however, most mushroom-producing fungi in lawns are merely...
Every summer, a handful of insect pests can become a real nuisance when they invade your space, bite, or sting you. Whether you take a staycation or a vacation, you'll want to watch our videos for tips on how to deal with these pests when you encounter them.
1 Ants: What to do if you have an ant emergency
2 Bed bugs: Don't bring bed bugs home when you travel!
3 Mosquitoes:...
/h2>/h2>/h2>- 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...
As temperatures drop and seasonal moisture returns to California, some pests may seek shelter or overwintering sites within homes and other structures. These seasonal nuisance pests (or “occasional invaders”) can cause concern in residents and may lead to unnecessary, ineffective, and potentially harmful pesticide applications, both inside and out. Be prepared to educate your customers about nonchemical exclusion tools, materials, and techniques that can prevent pest entry over the long term, helping to reduce pesticide use around our homes and environment.
Pests invade homes for varying reasons during autumn and winter. Common outdoor species such as