- (Focus Area) Pest Management
- Author: Lauren Fordyce
While preparing your garden for planting this spring, you may have found white grubs in the soil. While uncovering these sometimes large, white grubs can be alarming, they usually won't cause significant plant damage.
Grubs are the soil-dwelling larvae of several beetles in the Scarabaeidae family. They are generally C-shaped with whitish bodies and 6 legs. The larvae of smaller species may be less than 0.5 inch long, while larger species may be over 1 inch. Some grubs feed on living plant material while others do not.
In most cases, the presence of grubs does not require pesticide treatment and populations of 6 or less per square foot won't cause significant damage. If you notice them in your garden beds, they can be hand-picked and killed. Some may choose to feed them to their backyard chickens or leave them out for wild birds. Beneficial nematodes can be applied to control grub infestations.
To learn more about common white grubs, visit https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=56797
- Author: Trina Kleist
- Posted by: Gale Perez
Hanson: “Some weeds you can only eat once”
Our weed doctors will be available to identify weeds and give people advice during the UC Davis Picnic Day this year, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 20, in the Plant & Environmental Sciences (PES) Building courtyard. Research staff have collected seasonal weeds for their “weed petting zoo” to help you identify what's in your lawn, flower bed or horse pasture.
People often ask for low-cost, easy and chemical-free solutions to eradicate weeds, said scientist Brad Hanson. “I usually tell them, ‘Weeds are weeds for a reason,' and they might be more successful if they pick two of those three specifications.” In the case of stubborn perennial pests, the weed doctors can recommend an effective herbicide.
Weeds are a huge problem in our natural lands, too. “Besides affecting landscapes and agricultural fields, weeds are driving ecosystem changes and altering fire regimes in California,” said weed and restoration specialist Justin Valliere. “In many cases, ecological restoration is primarily related to managing and preventing weed invasions.”
Careful what you eat!
Also at this year's "Ask the Weed Doctor" booth will be Jens Beets, the new research ecologist with the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. Based at UC Davis, Beets is an expert in aquatic plant management.
Information also will be available about aquatic weeds.
Visitors can take home information sheets describing pests and guides from the University of California's Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program. Weed doctors also can point visitors to helpful books, local resources such as a UC Master Gardeners group, and online resources, Hanson added.
Faculty with the Weed Research and Information Center enjoy meeting people and hearing about their weeds. A memorable conversation, Hanson recalled, went like this: “Hey, this one shouldn't be called a weed! If you pick it when it's tender, you can eat it in a salad.” To that, the weed doctor responded, “You can eat any weed, but some of them you only eat once!”
Check out all the information available at the UC Weed Research and Information Center.
Original source: UCD Plant Sciences website • NEWS April 11, 2024
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Remember when San Francisco 49'ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk credited his spectacular 51-yard catch in the 2024 NFC championship game with the Detroit Lions to a ladybug (note that entomologists correctly call it a "lady beetle") landing on his shoe before the game?
Well, those attending the 110th annual UC Davis Picnic Day activities on Saturday, April 20 at Briggs Hall--home of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology--can also net some luck.
Children are encouraged to take home a couple of the beetles at the UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (UC IPM) booth in the courtyard of Briggs. (Adults can do so, too. Maybe they'll name their beetles "Brandon" and "Aiyuk.")
The ladybug is actually a beetle (Coleoptera), not a bug (Hemiptera). It's associated with good luck because it eats the aphids that try to destroy our crops. It can eat as many as 5000 aphids in its lifetime, scientists estimate.
"These beetles have become a cultural icon of sorts because of their appearance and their beneficial habits," writes UC Davis distinguished professor Lynn Kimsey, former director of the Bohart Museum of Entomology, in her insect fact sheet on lady beetles. "Both adults and larvae feed on aphids and other small, soft-bodied insects...They are ferocious predators on small insects." (See what the UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program says about lady beetles.)
Ever seen a close-up shot of a lady beetle eating an aphid? The predator and the prey...
Ever seen a cellar spider snaring and eating a lady beetle? The predator and the predator...one becomes prey.
Ordinarily, the lady beetle's bright red coloration serves as a "warning" to predators. Plus, lady beetles are known to ooze a foul-tasting chemical that tastes so bad that predators leave them alone. This lady beetle engaged in "reflex bleeding," exuding an alkaloid toxin (which did not deter the predator).
Lady beetles will be just a few of the bugs at Briggs Hall during UC Davis Picnic Day. You'll also see cockroach races, maggot art, and displays featuring ants, bees, walking sticks, mosquitoes, nematodes, butterflies, spiders, whip scorpions, and more. Check out "bug" activities at Briggs Hall here. UC Davis Picnic Day is free and family friendly.
- Author: Thomas J Getts
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Students, it is the time of year to apply for the CWSS Student Scholarship! Awards will be given to both graduate and undergraduate students ranging from $1,000-2,000. Any students interested in Weed Science should apply! Click here to submit an application and for further instruction.
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This year in January at the California Weed Science Society (CWSS) annual conference, we had numerous outstanding students present their recent research in the field of weed science. In total we had 12 students participate in the contest, but there is always room for more! If you know of any undergraduate or graduate students who are interested in weeds, I would encourage them to get involved with the CWSS. It is a great conference with many networking and learning opportunities.
This year we had one winner in the undergraduate student poster contest.
- 1st Place Undergraduate Student Poster - Sawyer William Claussen, California Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo (Steinmaus Lab) - Biannual Crop Rotation as an Effective Weed Management Method
For the Graduate Student Contest, the two prize winners were from UC Davis!
- 1st Place Graduate Poster - Stephen Chang, UC Davis (Hanson Lab) - Evaluating the Effect of Endothall-treated Irrigation Water on California Crops
- 2nd Place Graduate Poster - Erika Escalona, UC Davis (Fennimore Lab) - Evaluating Bacterial Diversity and Efficacy of Steam Fumigation Treatments in the Salinas Valley's Lettuce and Spinach Fields
Fresno State swept the oral competition this year!
- 1st Place Graduate Paper - Robert Willmott, Fresno State University (Shrestha Lab) - Cover Crops Combined with Strip Tilling Reduces Herbicide Use in Silage Corn
- 2nd Place Graduate Paper - Jennifer Valdez Herrera, Fresno State University (Shrestha Lab) - Developing an Integrated Management System for Common Chickweed (Stellaria media) Control in Small Grain Crops in the Central Valley
If you see any of these excellent students, make sure to give them a big congratulations! And encourage students you know to apply for the scholarship program!
- Author: Lisa Nedlan
I can name that flying insect in 3 clues – how about you?
Match the clue to the insect's image. Place an X in the appropriate column.
Resources:
UC IPM, Syrphids (Flower Flies or Hover Flies) https://ipm.ucanr.edu/natural-enemies/syrphids/
University of Florida, European honey bee https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/BEES/euro_honey_bee.htm
University of Minnesota Extension, Syrphid flies https://extension.umn.edu/beneficial-insects/syrphid-flies
US Forest Service, Syrphid fly (Sphaerophoria philanthus) https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/pollinators/pollinator-of-the-month/syrphid-fly.shtml
Utah State University Extension, Beneficial Predators: Syrphid Flies https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2969&context=extension_curall
Photo credits:
Honeybee photo by Leo Kriss: https://www.pexels.com/photo/macro-photography-of-honeybee-perched-on-blue-petaled-flower-754313/
Syrphid Fly photo by Leslie Saunders on Unsplash