Ongoing research

Pollinators are essential to many of California's agricultural crops and to the vast biodiversity of California's natural ecosystems. Unfortunately, due to a variety of factors including habitat destruction, pesticides, disease, and climate change pollinators are in decline.

Meetings & Announcements A New and Free Publication on Principles of Xeriscape Pruning Shade Trees Tree Care Accidents...

We have endured multiple years of drought, and are probably in store for more. For many of us, it makes sense to replace all or part of our lawn area with less water-intensive plantings.

This spring I was reading an article about drought-tolerant gardens and the authors were singing the praises of the Chaste Tree, Vitex agnus-castus. They were extolling its virtues, particularly its flowers, which can range from white to light blue to lavender.

All year long, we've been waiting for those majestic monarchs to visit our pollinator garden in Vacaville, as they have in the past 10 years or so. One year (2020), they deposited more than 300 eggs on our milkweed. But this year? Zero. Zilch. Nada. Where are you? Dawn. Noon. Dusk.

Assistant professor Nicholas "Nick" Miller of the Department of Biology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, will present the first-of-the-fall seminars hosted by the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, on Wednesday, Sept.

Seasonal Editorial Notes...

New varieties of rice that offer more effective weed control with less herbicide were showcased by UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences researchers at the recent Rice Field Day north of Yuba City in California's Central Valley.

It's almost the end of the season for the European wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum. A few still hang around the foxgloves, the catmint and the African blue basil in our pollinator garden.

Invasive pests are one of the main threats to our urban and natural forests. Tiny beetles, like the invasive shothole borers (ISHB), attack trees and cause their decline and death.