Tis the season for holiday travel. As you make reservations for rental accommodations to visit family and friends, we wanted to share a few suggestions to help you avoid bringing bed bugs home with you. Regardless of what type of lodging you choose-- hotel, motel, cabin, or other type of rental-- no place is immune to bed bug introductions or infestations.
We don't wish to alarm you, but we do want to point out that bed bug infestations are on the rise in the United States. Take precautions to save yourself from later issues and costs in case bed bugs do find their way into your home.
When settling into your room
- Before plopping your luggage down on the bed, couch, or floor, we...
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...
Centipedes and millipedes are most often seen in yards and gardens, sometimes finding their way into houses. They are not insects, but they belong to the same group in the animal kingdom as insects and crustaceans.
While centipedes have 1 pair of legs per body segment, millipedes have 2 or 4 pairs of legs per body segment. Centipedes move more quickly than millipedes and are more prone to biting.
In the garden, centipedes are typically found in dark, damp areas under stones or mulch. House centipedes are so named because they are mainly encountered indoors. All centipedes are beneficial arthropods, feeding on insects. Millipedes live and feed on rotting leaves and other moist, decaying plant...
(Credit: JM DiTomaso)
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...
Roses are popular ornamental plants grown in home gardens, parks, and other landscapes. Just like other plants, roses can be host to a number of insects and mite pests.
Roses can grow well with little to no pesticide use and numerous natural enemies, or “good bugs” exist to help hunt or parasitize common rose insect pests.
Find solutions for common invertebrate pests on roses in UC IPM's recently updated Pest Notes: Roses: Insects and Mites. This revised publication by rose experts Mary Louise Flint, Extension Entomologist Emerita, and John Karlik, UC Cooperative Extension Advisor, Kern County will help...
