The following links will direct you to information and pictures that will help you to identify any pest or disease that you may have in your garden. It is important to correctly identify a problem before you begin treating it. These websites will provide you with information on how to control the problem using the least-toxic method as defined by UC's Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program.
Pests and disease by plant type
Top Bay Area pests and diseases
- Anthracnose
- Aphids
- Apple & pear scab
- Ants
- Codling moth
- Damping-off diseases
- Earwigs
- Fire blight
- Gophers
- Leaf curl
- Mosquitoes
- Mushrooms & other fungi
- Powdery mildew
- Rose Diseases
- Scales
- Snails & slugs
- Sooty mold
- Spider Mites
- Sudden Oak Death
- Thrips
- Whiteflies
Beneficial insects for pest management
Beneficial insects are the natural enemies of garden pests, they help keep our garden’s ecosystem in balance. Green lacewings are generalist predators, with the adults eating nectar and pollen and the larvae feeding on mites, eggs, and small insects such as aphids and thrips. Lady beetles (in larva and adult state) prefer aphids but also eat whiteflies and other soft-bodied insects. Invite them into your garden by choosing plants that provide them shelter, pollen, and nectar and avoiding pesticides that kill them.
See a variety of natural enemies in this poster from UC IPM (PDF).
Reduce pests and diseases by changing your gardening practices
Learn more about how to avoid or prevent garden pests with cultural practices (i.e., barriers, planting schedules, and selecting disease-resistant varieties) see Reduce Pests and Diseases By Changing Your Cultural Practices.
Additional resources
- UC IPM Site: IPM, or Integrated Pest Management, helps you to control garden pests (including insects, diseases, and vertebrates) by effectively reducing problems using the least toxic methods that sufficiently control the pest. This scientific and environmentally sensitive way of looking at pest management walks you through several techniques if necessary to safely minimize or eliminate the pest.
- UC IPM Pest Notes Library: Have a problem with an insect, disease, or vertebrate pest? Check the list of UC Pest Notes for in-depth solutions to your specific problem. Pest Notes are peer-reviewed publications about specific pests or pest management topics directed at California's home and landscape audiences; they are based on UC's IPM recommendations.