Two identical looking species of wood-boring beetles, collectively known as invasive shothole borers (ISHB), have killed thousands of trees in Southern California and pose an ongoing threat to California's urban and wildland forests. These beetles, which are not native to the United States, were first identified in Los Angeles County in 2012 and have since spread to six other counties: Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.

Beetles, Fungus, and Impact

The polyphagous shothole borer (Euwallacea fornicatus) (Figure 1) and the Kuroshio shothole borer (Euwallacea kuroshio) are small ambrosia beetles that have a symbiotic relationship with several species...

In September 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 1788, which prohibits almost all uses of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) statewide. Rodenticide products containing brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, or difethialone have been restricted materials in California since 2014. They are only available for use by licensed pest control applicators.

The new restrictions are intended to reduce potential poisoning of nontarget wildlife. According to the text of the bill, scientific research and state studies have found rodenticides in over 75 percent of animals tested. From 2014 through 2018, the Department of Fish and Wildlife found SGARs...

Weeds in the landscape can be tough to manage. But there are many options for weed management using an integrated approach that combines nonchemical and chemical methods.

Identification:

• Start by identifying the weeds you want to manage. UC IPM has a weed photo gallery that includes most weeds found in California landscapes. Knowing how a weed grows and spreads is an important step in successful control.
• Once you know what weed or weeds you're dealing with, consult the Pest Notes series on weeds to find specific management options.
• Management...