- Author: Ben Faber
|
|
|
|
|
|
Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
Client's Requests: I have these pests on EVERYTHING from my tomato plants to my Rose bushes & flowers to my Lambs Ear plant! I'm certain the green worms are eating these because I've seen them on the leaf undersides. However, I'm not certain if the beetles are eating as well. I have an infestation of both pests every year along with White Flies & Aphids!! 😬 We've sprayed with ALL the common treatments from Neem Oil to calling the pest control man. They continue to come back and destroy nearly every flower, or plant I have. Any thoughts??? Thank you, Very frustrated!
Help Desk Response: Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk. You asked about insects in your yard. There aren't insects named green horned worm or red boxed beetles, but you probably mean the tomato hornworm (a green worm with a pointy "horn" on its rear) and possibly the box elder bug or the red-shouldered bug.
T
The insect you refer to as red boxed beetles could be either box elder bugs or red-shouldered bugs, also known as golden rain tree or soapberry bugs. Neither of these bugs does much damage to ornamental or fruit trees. You might be seeing the red-shouldered bugs right now. They are out in numbers in my yard. They eat the seeds of the golden rain tree or other related plants, but nothing else. Both of these bugs are more of a nuisance than a pest that needs to be controlled. Here is more information about box elder bugs: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74114.html.
You also mentioned problems with aphids and whiteflies which are very common pests throughout the County. The links below are to more information about both of these pests: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7404.html and http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7401.html.
It is important to identify the pest before spraying. There are some pests that are controlled by natural predators that won't become more prevalent if the predators are indiscriminately killed by sprays. It is easier to deal with problems when they are caught early. As you notice something amiss, either damage from insects or disease, feel free to contact us. Photos of the problem/pest will help us diagnose it and enable us to send you information on what to do.
Please don't hesitate to contact us again if you have more questions.
Don't miss our 2019 Great Tomato Plant Sale - Walnut Creek 3/30, Richmond 4/6, Antioch 4/13. Click here for more information:http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/tomato/ |
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (SEH)
Note: UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available almost year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays (e.g., last 2 weeks December), we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 2380 Bisso Lane, Concord, CA 94520. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 608-6683, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/. MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog.
/table>- Author: Lynn M. Sosnoskie
There are TWO upcoming weed science extension days in the San Joaquin Valley this April.
The first will be held on the 2nd of April at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Parlier (9240 South Riverbend Road, Parlier CA 93648) and the second will be held on April 11th at the Westside Research and Extension Center in Five Points (17353 West Oakland Avenue, Five Points, CA 93624).
The meeting at the Kearney Center will focus on rangeland, turf, and tree and vine systems while the meeting at the Westside Center will focus on agronomic crops, ROWs, and tree and vine systems. Both meetings will open with hands-on weed ID and nozzle selection/drift management training.
The Kearney meeting has been approved for 3.5 CDPR continuing education credits (other); an application for 3.5 credits is currently pending for the Five Points meeting.
Both meetings are free to attend although we do request that you register by calling the UCCE Merced County office at 209-385-7403 to reserve your spot. Agendas are listed below (pdf flyers are also attached).
Our programs are open to all potential participants. If you require special accommodations, please contact the UCCE Merced County office at 209-385-7403. Thank you and we hope to see you at the meeting!
San Joaquin Valley Weed Science Day at the KARE
Tuesday, April 2 2019, 8:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center
9240 South Riverbend Road, Parlier CA 93648
8:00 a.m. Registration and Welcome (Refreshments provided)
8:30 a.m. Concurrent Sessions (attendees will be split into two groups and will rotate between the weed ID and spray drift demonstrations at 45-minute intervals)
Session 1: Identification of Common Weeds of Agricultural Cropping Systems and Non-Crop areas of the Southern San Joaquin Valley.
Anil Shrestha, Chair: Department of Viticulture & Enology and Professor: Weed Science, CSU Fresno
Session 2: Nozzle Selection and Proper Use and Spray Drift Management
James Schaeffer, Staff Research Associate, UCCE – Fresno County
10:00 a.m. Break (Refreshments provided)
10:15 a.m. Post-Emergence Herbicides for Use in Orchards
Kurt Hembree, Weed Science Advisor, UCCE – Fresno County
10:45 a.m. Turfgrass Weeds in the Central Valley
Maggie Reiter, Environmental Horticulture Advisor, UCCE – Fresno, Madera, Tulare and Kings Counties
11:15 a.m. Post-fire Rangeland Weed Management: A Critical Component of Land Stewardship
Rebecca Ozeran, Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor, UCCE – Fresno and Madera Counties
11:45 a.m. Glyphosate for Weed Control: How it Works, Why it Fails, and What we can do to Maximize Efficacy
Lynn Sosnoskie, Agronomy and Weed Science Advisor, UCCE – Merced and Madera Counties
12:15 p.m. Adjourn
San Joaquin Valley Weed Science Day at the WSREC
Thursday, April 11, 2019, 8:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Westside Research and Extension Center
17353 West Oakland Avenue, Five Points, CA 93624
8:00 a.m. Registration and Welcome (Refreshments provided)
8:30 a.m. Concurrent Sessions (attendees will be split into two groups and will rotate between the weed ID and spray drift demonstrations at 45-minute intervals)
Session 1: Identification of Common Weeds of Agricultural Cropping Systems and Non-Crop areas of the Southern San Joaquin Valley.
Anil Shrestha, Chair: Department of Viticulture & Enology and Professor: Weed Science, CSU Fresno
Session 2: Nozzle Selection and Proper Use and Spray Drift Management
James Schaeffer, Staff Research Associate, UCCE – Fresno County
10:00 a.m. Break (Refreshments provided)
10:15 a.m. The Biology and Management of Alkaliweed
Kurt Hembree, Weed Science Advisor, UCCE – Fresno County
10:45 a.m. Managing tough weeds in the right-of-way (ROW), landscape and other non-crop sites
Rick Miller, Corteva Agrisciences
11:15 a.m. Pre- and Post-Herbicide Performance on Threespike Goosegrass in Tree Nut Orchards
Drew Wolter, UC Davis
11:45 a.m. Breaking Bindweed: What Controls the Species and What Doesn't Work
Lynn Sosnoskie, Agronomy and Weed Science Advisor, UCCE – Merced and Madera Counties
12:15 p.m. Adjourn
- Posted by: Gale Perez
So, what should you do? Outsmart the ants.
Ants are usually looking for food, water and shelter. Although spraying a pesticide may seem like an easy solution, this won't get rid of the reason the ants are there, and they will be back.
Instead, here are some other things you can do to keep them out and make your house less attractive to ants:
- Find where the ants are entering, then caulk cracks and crevices both indoors and out.
- Wipe up ant trails with soapy water as soon as you see them.
- Store food attractive to ants in closed containers.
- Ant-proof kitchen garbage pails with sticky barriers like petroleum jelly.
- Keep areas where ants are invading tidy – clean up grease and spills, pet food, and other possible food sources.
- Place pet food dishes in a moat of water with a drop of dishwashing liquid. The soap will keep the ants from floating.
- If you decide to use a pesticide, choose prepackaged or refillable bait stations instead of sprays. Place them near ant trails and nest openings. Ant bait stations take time to work. It can take 5 to 10 days before you start seeing fewer ants. In the meantime, keep washing away the ant trails.
For more information on how to keep ants from invading your home, visit the UC IPM Pest Notes: Ants or the Ants Quick Tip. You can also access the UC IPM video library to watch these helpful videos: What to do if you have an ant emergency, Why do ants invade, and How to effectively control ants.