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A monarch flag signifies the home of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.

Article

UC Davis Picnic Day: Ready, Set, Go!

April 11th, 2025

Bug Squad BlogBy Kathy Keatley GarveyThe long-awaited UC Davis Picnic Day activities at Briggs Hall will begin at 9 a.m., Saturday, April 12 and continue until 5 p.m.It promises to be a fun-filled and educational event where roaches races, maggots crawl and the crowd cheers. And everyone learns more…

Ranunculus flowers at The Flower Fields in Carlsbad

Article

Summit to showcase California agritourism best practices, May 14-15

April 11th, 2025

By Michael Hsu

The California Agritourism Summit, May 14-15 in San Diego County, will bring together agritourism stakeholders to share current initiatives and industry developments, gain practical tools to start or expand an agritourism business, develop strategic partnerships, and create a collective vision for the future…

Lady beetle in flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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Ladybug, Ladybug, Fly Away Home!

April 10th, 2025

Bug Squad BlogBy Kathy Keatley Garvey"Ladybug, ladybug, fly away home!"Your house is on fire and your children are gone”Who hasn’t loved that nursery rhyme about ladybugs? (Actually, ladybugs are beetles, not bugs, but that’s a different story.)At the 111th annual campuswide UC Davis Picnic Day on…

Bermuda buttercup infesting a bed of landscaped plants.

Article

Spring is in the Air, and Oxalis is Everywhere

April 10th, 2025

By Lindsey Hack

Bermuda buttercup (Oxalis pes-caprae), also called buttercup oxalis or sourgrass, might be a familiar sight in winter and spring, particularly to those who live in coastal regions or the Sacramento Valley. Some people enjoy seeing this plant’s cheerful yellow flowers pop up in their spring gardens, but for…

Water in a stream flows over river rocks with forest in background

Article

UCLA, UC ANR establish water supply-wildfire research and policy coordination network

April 10th, 2025

UCLA’s Climate & Wildfire Research Initiative (CWRI) is launching a new Urban Water Supply + Fire working group to function as a research and policy coordination network. This effort formalizes a forum where UCLA can come together and coordinate efforts with the University of California Agriculture and…

Malaria mosquito, Anopheles stephensi, drawing blood. (Wikipedia Photo)

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Mosquito Researcher to Discuss His Work on Immune Cells

April 9th, 2025

Bug Squad BlogBy Kathy Keatley Garvey"Mosquitoes are arguably the deadliest animal on the planet, threatening half of the world's population with the risk of mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue."So says mosquito researcher Ryan Smith, an associate professor in Iowa State University's…

HLB Deformed Fruit

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HLB Found in Arizona

April 9th, 2025

By Ben A Faber

HLB was recently confirmed for the first time in Arizona, first in an Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and then in another ACP and citrus plant tissue. The Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA) reported the details.On Dec. 16, 2024, agriculture inspectors collected ACP and plant tissue samples from a…

Bug Squad template. Bumble bee foraging on bull thistle. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Article

Nothing But Net--And a Butterfly

April 8th, 2025

You may not be a proficient at netting an insect like entomologist Fran Keller, UC Davis doctoral alumna and Folsom Lake College professor is, but you can try your skills at the 111th annual UC Davis Picnic Day on Saturday, April 12 and maybe win a poster.The Bohart Museum of Entomology invites you to…

Bug Squad template. Bumble bee foraging on bull thistle. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Article

Run, Roaches, Run!

April 7th, 2025

A picnic is not a picnic without bugs.Bugs may be "univited guests" at your picnic, but at the campuswide UC Davis Picnic Day, they're celebrities.Yes, celebrities.The UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology (ENT) again will host its fan-favorite roach races at at Briggs Hall on Saturday,…

Bee flying towards tree blossoms

Article

Gardeners with Heart: Champions of Sustainable Landscaping

April 7th, 2025

By Katherine Uhde

Across California, UC Master Gardener volunteers are making local landscapes greener and healthier. These volunteers don't just plant flowers – they're building a better future for all of us! Let's meet some of these gardening champions and learn how they're changing their communities with sustainable…

Bug Squad template. Bumble bee foraging on bull thistle

Article

Spotlighting Bumble Bee Research in the Neal Williams' Lab

April 4th, 2025

UC Davis bumble bee research in the news!The Ecological Society of America (ESA) recently spotlighted bumble bee research from the laboratory of pollinator ecologist Neal Williams, a professor in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.ESA singled out “Predicting Landscape-Scale Native…

Article

Late Rains, Small Plants, Fast Phenology

April 4th, 2025

By Chris J McDonald

Originally Posted April 1, 2025. This year in Southern California the rainy season got off to a late start. Southern California has received about one half of the average precipitation total as of this writing (and that's not an April fool's joke). Last year we had over 50% more rainfall than the…

Topics in Subtropics Newsletter

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New Topics in Subtropics Newsletter

April 4th, 2025

By Ben A Faber

Newsletter from the Subtropical Tree Crop Farm Advisors in Californiahttps://ucanr.edu/county-office/cooperative-extension-ventura-county/collection/topics-subtropics Topics in Subtropics Winter 2025 TOPICS IN THIS ISSUEDate Production OverviewGuidelines for Managing…

Argentine Ant vs Tamarixia

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Ask the Experts Webinars from UC IPM

April 4th, 2025

By Ben A Faber

What Are the UC Ag Experts Talking About?Event NameDateUC Ag Experts Talk: Considerations for Cover Crops and Weed Management 3/19/2025UC Ag Experts Talk: Integrated Soil Health Management 4/30/2025UC Ag Experts Talk: Mealybug Management in Citrus Orchards in California 5/21/2025What is…

Bug Squad blog template. Bumble bee foraging on bull thistle.

Article

When the Bond Lab Went to Salt Lake City

April 3rd, 2025

The Jason Bond lab, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, showcased its work at the annual meeting of the Pacific Branch, Entomological Society of America (PBESA), held this week in Salt Lake City. PBESA encompasses 11 Western states, plus parts of Canada and Mexico, and U.S…

Farm Workers

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Which Way Farm Labor?

April 3rd, 2025

Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics, University of CaliforniaPresident Trump and Farm Labor: The OutlookPhilip Martin and Zach RutledgeDuring the 2024 presidentialcampaign, Donald Trump prom-ised to stop illegal migration overthe Mexico-U.S. border and todeport many of the unauthorizedforeigners in…

Bug Squad template. Bumble bee foraging on a bull thistle.

Article

Root for the Roaches, Cheer for the Maggots at UC Davis Picnic Day

April 2nd, 2025

Bugs reign, especially at picnics.And especially at the campuswide UC Davis Picnic Day.What will be buzzing, racing or crawling at Briggs Hall during the 111th annual Picnic Day on Saturday, April 12?Bees, cockroaches and maggots.The UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology encourages you to…

Ngodoo Atume with farmer

Article

Statewide team to assist small farms with SGMA

April 2nd, 2025

By Ngodoo Atume, Kristen Farrar

California relies on groundwater - water stored in underground aquifers and pumped through wells - for up to 41% of water supply in normal years and up to 60% during times of drought. In 2014, the California legislature signed into law the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) with the primary goal…

Article

webinar video on electric weed control in organic perennial crops

April 2nd, 2025

By Bradley Hanson

A quick repost to share a link to a recent January 14, 2025 webinar on Electric Weed Control in Organic Perennial Crops. The webinar was part of a multi-state research and extension project that includes researchers from Oregon State University, Cornell University, and UC Davis and outreach support from…

Article

WeedCut: BMPs for herbicide application techniques

April 2nd, 2025

By Bradley Hanson

Sharing a recent post from the California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC) about a new page on the WeedCUT online decision support tool. -Brad--------------------------------------------------------------------New WeedCUT Feature: BMPs for Herbicide Application Techniques Confused about…

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