- Author: Lauren Fordyce
Lately you may have seen some large, leggy insects bumbling around on your home, bouncing off walls and ceilings. What are these?
While many people call them “mosquito eaters” or “mosquito hawks,” they are actually crane flies. And unfortunately, they do not eat mosquitoes. Many reports claim that they bite or sting, and this is also false. The adults are harmless and many species don't even have mouthparts to feed at all! However, their larvae can be pests of lawns and turfgrass.
Larvae are to 1-1/2 inches long, brown, and wormlike with very tough skin. They may resemble white grubs, but crane fly larvae do not have legs. The majority of lawn damage from crane flies is...
In honor of Lyme Disease Awareness Month and in response to some misinformation about ticks on social media recently, we'd like to share some tick and Lyme disease facts.
- Ticks can spread several diseases to humans and pets, but Lyme disease is the most common. In California, Lyme disease is carried by the western blacklegged tick which occurs throughout the state.
- Lyme disease has been reported in most California counties, but some areas pose higher risks than others.
- You can
- Author: Lauren Fordyce
You may be noticing white grubs in your compost piles, lawns, or garden beds. These white, c-shaped critters can be 1/4 inch long or 2 inches long, depending on the species. White grubs are the larvae of some scarab beetles, and though many of them can cause damage to our landscapes, not all of them do.
There are three species that feed on the roots of grasses, making them a potential pest to lawns when in high numbers. These species may also be found in landscape or garden beds that are near grassy areas or were recently converted from grassy areas. Compare the size of white grubs you may find, as some species are much larger or smaller than others and can help you determine which is present.
- 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!
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
