- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
To successfully eliminate bed bugs, pest management professionals (PMPs) say they need the cooperation of people living the pests, according to a survey conducted by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources scientists.
California's pest management pros are divided over whether they believe that some of the state's bed bug populations are resistant to insecticides, but they agree that the bugs may survive treatments by finding safe harbor in excessive clutter and personal items that tenants didn't want treated or thrown away. In addition, some settings – such as hotels, motels, college dorms and homeless shelters – may be continually reinfested.
Bed bugs are among the most...
- Author: Igor Lacan
- Author: Steven Seybold
[From the December 2014 issue of the UC IPM Green Bulletin]
For at least a decade, thousand cankers disease (TCD) has been killing walnut trees across California wildlands and landscapes. The causative agent is a yeast-like fungus (Geosmithia morbida) spread by a tiny native beetle called the walnut twig beetle (Pityophthorus juglandis) (Figure 1). TCD has killed thousands of walnut trees and threatens not only ornamental and landscape trees but also English walnut trees in commercial orchards. Once a tree becomes infected no control is available; therefore, it is...
/span>- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
[Article originally appeared in the November 2014 issue of the Retail Nursery & Garden Center IPM News]
Although urban areas are important habitats for migrating birds, birds can also quickly become a nuisance or economic issue when they begin nesting in colonies on buildings and other structures. Their activities can result in disruptive noises, lead to potential structural damage (Figure 1), and their droppings can create aesthetic and human health problems. The most effective method to keep migrating and nesting birds from becoming a nuisance or causing building damage is to exclude them.
Laws...
/span>Winter is a key time for gardeners to take preventive actions against peach leaf curl in some areas in California. Caused by the fungus Taphrina deformans, peach leaf curl causes distortion, thickening, and reddening of foliage as peach and nectarine trees leaf out in the spring. Damaged leaves often die and drop, but they will be replaced with new, healthier leaves once the weather turns dry and warm. An untreated leaf curl infection will contribute to a tree's decline over several years.
To prevent peach leaf curl in areas where the disease occurs, treat susceptible trees with preventive fungicides during the dormant season, ideally in late November or December. A second application should...
Although some lizards eat plants, most lizards feed on insects. In California, the most common types feed on beetles, ants, wasps, aphids, grasshoppers, and spiders. Lizards cause no measurable damage to plants in gardens and may be beneficial by eating pest insects and should be left alone.
Occasionally, however, lizards can enter homes and buildings through small openings, especially gaps beneath doors. They are excellent climbers so they can enter at any structural opening 1/4 inch or larger. Should a lizard enter your home, there are several ways to capture and release it outdoors.
Find out more about how to keep lizards out of your house in our recently updated Pest Note