We all encounter pests in our homes, gardens, and landscapes, but which ones are most popular in California? While we can't say for certain, website traffic to UC IPM's Pest Notes gives us a glimpse of popular pests. Here are the top ten most frequently viewed publications in 2021.
1. Aphids
These insects may be small, but they can quickly build up large populations. With many different species in California that feed on vegetables, flowers, fruit trees, and woody ornamentals, aphids are a common sight in landscapes and gardens. Year after year, aphids continue to hold the top spot. Learn more about aphids and their management in
- Author: Elaine Lander
Spring has arrived and with many Californians at home due to local coronavirus directives, now could be an opportune time for some spring cleaning. This annual ritual also has the benefit of preventing and reducing indoor pests.
Cleaning and decluttering removes access to food, water, and shelter for pests such as ants, cockroaches, pantry pests, mice, and
- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
Here are the answers to the traps pictured in yesterday's blog post. How did you do? Let us know in the comments section.
As long as you use integrated pest management when seeking to fend off your pest enemies, you can be assured that Admiral Akbar would be proud.
Answers:
1. Yellow sticky trap, used for monitoring and detecting small winged insects like Asian citrus psyllid and whiteflies.
2. Live catch trap....
- Author: Anne Schellman
- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
![Larva and adult furniture carpet beetles. [Credit: D-H Choe]](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/UCIPMurbanpests/blogfiles/50653small.jpg)
Pests have popularity contests too. We recently looked at how many visits our popular Pest Notes publication series received in 2017.
If you aren't familiar, the UC IPM Pest Notes series are science-based publications written and reviewed by experts on specific pest or management topics for California. UC IPM has 169 Pest Notes with some being more popular than others.
Here are the 20 most visited titles in 2017:
1- Carpet Beetles
For the third year in a row, carpet beetles was the most viewed of the UC IPM Pest Notes series on our website! This commonly occurring indoor pest can be accidentally brought into your home on cut flowers or through open doors...
Spotting a small moth fluttering around your closet then discovering damaged fabric or other items can be shocking. Upon further inspection, you may even see the silken webs spun by the larvae, or the droppings they leave behind.
Clothes moth larvae attack wool clothing, carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, furs, and much more. They will even feed on synthetic or cotton blends of fabric if they also contain wool.
Sometimes people mistake clothes moths for pantry pests (food and grain-infesting moths). Clothes moths are small, about ¼ long, and only flutter about the area they have infested, typically around around bedrooms and where...
