- Author: Elaine Lander

The last weeks of summer are here and many are maximizing time outdoors, whether in yards, parks, or natural areas. As you enjoy the sunshine and perhaps a picnic, it is possible you may encounter different types of stinging insects such as bees and wasps.
Here are some resources that can help you avoid getting stung.
- Author: Elaine Lander
- Editor: Karey Windbiel-Rojas

(Credit: Jack Kelly Clark)
While many of you are preparing for the 4th of July holiday, we at UC IPM are also thinking about stars and stripes but in a slightly different way: yellow starthistle and striped skunks.
We usually have pests on the brain, so we wanted to remind you of the resources we have to help you with pest management. Whether you have a pest in your home, or outdoors on lawns,
- Author: Dong-Hwan Choe
- Author: Kathleen Campbell
- Author: Michael K Rust
- Posted by: Elaine Lander

Many parks, recreational areas, and outdoor venues in California are home to yellowjacket wasps (Vespula spp.). Yellowjackets are commonly attracted to human food items, creating a serious nuisance and a potential stinging threat. If found, nests (usually underground) can be effectively treated with targeted insecticide applications (e.g., dusts containing pyrethroids). However, baiting could be a feasible alternative method to suppress yellowjackets over a wide area, especially if nests cannot be located. Currently, only one active ingredient (esfenvalerate) is registered for use within bait in California to control yellowjackets,...
- 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....

Yellowjackets have a well-deserved reputation for being aggressive since they often sting when defending their nests or when they encounter people while out scavenging for food.
This time of year, yellowjacket colony populations are increasing, and people may encounter them more frequently. Some yellowjacket species live in underground nests and can be a problem to people mowing the lawn or to children playing on it. Other kinds of yellowjackets may live in between voids in walls and ceilings of houses, coming into contact with people who pass by.
Sometimes paper wasps are mistaken for yellowjackets, but these insects are much less aggressive and more easily dealt with.
If you have a wasp...