Spring is here and if you are like us, you can't wait to get outside and see how your plants and garden are doing! As usual, UC IPM has useful tips for the month of April to prevent pests in the garden and landscape. To see more tips specific to your region, visit the Seasonal Landscape IPM Checklist on the UC IPM website. Here are some general tips to get you started:
- Cover fruit trees with netting to exclude birds and other vertebrate pests.
Every April, we celebrate Earth Day and think about ways we can help make our planet healthier. One way to do this is to use IPM or integrated pest management to deal with pests around your home and garden!
IPM is a science-based, environmentally sound strategy that farmers, professionals, and residents can use to help prevent or control pests and their damage while at the same time protecting people, bees, beneficials, pets and the planet.
Are you already using IPM?
IPM uses a combination of methods including:
- biological control -- 'good bugs' or beneficial organisms like spiders or parasites that eat or prey on other bugs;
- physical control -- blocking the pest from...