- Author: Lauren Fordyce
What do Earth Day and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) have in common? They both seek to protect the beautiful planet we all share! IPM is an environmentally friendly way to manage pests, focusing on nonchemical control methods (cultural, physical, and biological) rather than relying solely on pesticides. The main goal is to reduce pests but to achieve that without harm to people, water, soil ecosystems, beneficial insects, and wildlife.
This Earth Day, see how you can use IPM to protect the environment. Here are some ideas:
Plant flowers
Flowering plants, especially those native to California, are not only beautiful but incredibly important for pest control!
This Saturday, April 15th, is the annual UC Davis Picnic Day event!
Stop by the UC Statewide IPM Program's booth from 9am to 3pm in the entomology building, Briggs Hall.
We'll have ladybugs (lady beetles) for you to take home, fun insect temporary tattoos for all ages, preserved insects on display, and a “good bug” scavenger hunt! You can also find information on various pests as we will showcase our publications, online tools, and resources.
Visit us with your pest-related questions and learn about all of the free UC IPM resources available to help you manage pests in the home, garden, or landscape!
Below are answers to the 2023 Easter Egg Hunt! How did you do?
Some mosquitoes lay single eggs on water surfaces, while others, like Culex species, lay batches of 100 or more eggs, called rafts, pictured above. Other species lay single eggs just above the water line in moist soil, tree holes, or containers where later flooding is likely. Eggs deposited on water surfaces usually hatch within a couple of days, but eggs laid on the sides of saucers under plants, jars, cans, or soil surfaces won't hatch until flooding occurs, which can be months or even years later. Read the
It's time for UC IPM's Easter egg hunt!
Can you guess which insects laid the eggs pictured below? Some may be pests, while others may be beneficial! Leave a comment on this blog post with your guesses, or on our Facebook and Instagram posts.
Answers will be posted on Friday, April 7th.
B.
Spring is finally here, but unfortunately so are the pests!
While doing your spring cleaning or staying indoors due to our recent rain, you may have noticed some insects and spiders have moved in with you. Many pests are emerging from their winter rest, and taking cover from the cool, wet weather.
If you've found tiny brown, white, and black patterned beetles on windowsills, curtains, or walls near entryways, they may be carpet beetles. Adult beetles are about 1/10 inch and feed on pollen and nectar from flowers like crape myrtle and spirea. They can be brought indoors on cut flowers or they may fly in from nearby plants outside. A few adult beetles inside your home are typically not a problem. However, be on...
