[Originally published in the Fall 2018 issue of the Green Bulletin. Modified slightly from original.]
Invasive insects and diseases are threatening numerous tree species throughout the country. Impacts include tree mortality, destruction of forest and urban habitats, and other significant changes in forest ecosystems due to the decline or elimination of tree species. Many of these pests can be transported in inadequately-processed wood, including firewood and discarded wood debris left behind from tree care operations (Figure 1). Preventing the spread of these pests to new areas is critical for...
When you hear the term “pesticide,” what comes to mind? Do you understand what pesticides are and, more importantly, how to use them correctly?
A pesticide is any material (natural or synthetic) used to control, prevent, kill, suppress, or repel pests. “Pesticide” is a broad term that includes insecticides, herbicides (weed or plant killers), algaecides (algae and moss), fungicides (plant diseases), rodenticides, miticides (mite control), and molluscicides (snails and slugs). Even antimicrobial products (such as bleach and sanitary wipes) that kill bacteria on surfaces and chlorine added to pools are pesticides. If a product has a U.S. Enviromental Protection Agency (EPA) Registration Number on...
Praying mantids are well-known predators we often see lurking around gardens, landscapes, and sometimes near porch lights, waiting for a tasty meal to arrive.
Praying mantid adults are 2 to 4 inches (5-10 cm) long and are usually yellowish, green, or brown. Mantids (often referred to as praying mantis) go through incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult) and have one generation per year. Overwintering eggs are laid in groups in hard, grayish egg cases which are glued to wood, bark, or other plant material. Adults and immatures (nymphs) have an elongated thorax and grasping forelegs, which they have the...
- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
Originally posted August 26, 2016; edited July 10, 2018
Have you seen big green beetles in your California yard or garden? Or beetles feeding on your roses or other plants? There are many kinds of beetles commonly found in our landscapes, but the Japanese beetle is not one of them.
Japanese Beetles
Many people think they've seen the Japanese beetle, a small scarab beetle with metallic green wings with white spots on the margins. However, Japanese beetles are generally not found in California.
The Japanese beetle is an exotic and potentially invasive pest for which the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is conducting eradication efforts to limit its spread...
- Author: Niamh Quinn
![Learning to inspect for signs of rodent activity. [N. M. Quinn]](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/UCIPMurbanpests/blogfiles/44079small.jpg)
[From the May 2017 issue of the UC IPM Green Bulletin]
The West Coast Rodent Academy (WCRA) is a three-day intensive educational workshop hosted by University of California Cooperative Extension in association with the Pest Control Operators of California, Target Specialty Products and Univar. The event was recently held at the University of California's Agricultural and Natural Resources South Coast Research and Extension Center (SCREC) in Irvine, CA.
Managing rodents in urban environments can often be very challenging. The WCRA was created...
