UCCE Master Gardeners of San Joaquin County

flowers at gos

Stick insect from Bohart Museum of Entomology crawling on arm. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Article

When Insects Popped Up--And a Lobster Did, Too

April 18th, 2025

Bug Squad BlogBy Kathy Keatley Garvey When the Bohart Museum of Entomology erected its pop-up tent on the Briggs Hall lawn during the recent campuswide UC Davis Picnic Day, insects popped up.They included walking sticks (stick insects) and a few specimens from the Bohart Museum's global collection of…

Mining bee (Andrena) on Passiflora in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Article

In Search of the Mining Bees

April 17th, 2025

Bug Squad BlogBy Kathy Keatley GarveyThere she was, a mining bee (genus Andrena) sunning herself on a Passiflora (passionflower vine). She did not notice me.Such a tiny bee, about the size of a grain of rice. It's a solitary ground-nesting bee known as "an early spring bee" and it lives only a…

Bermuda buttercup infesting a bed of landscaped plants.

Article

Spring is in the Air, and Oxalis is Everywhere

April 17th, 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…

Flameskimmer dragonfly above bed of California golden poppies. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Article

Flameskimmers Bring Great Joy

April 16th, 2025

Bug Squad BlogBy Kathy Keatley GarveyFlameskimmers bring great joy.Today we saw our first dragonfly of the season in our Vacaville garden. The flameskimmer, a female Libellula saturata, perched on a stick and allowed me to take a few images. It was just a couple of weeks ago that I reviewed a book…

The buds shown on the walnut branches are male flowers called catkins

Article

UC scientists ask walnut trees: When do you need to be irrigated?

April 16th, 2025

By Trina Kleist

UC scientists are working with growers in Tehama, Butte, Lake, Amador, Contra Costa, Stanislaus and Yolo counties to test a new way of measuring the irrigation needs of walnut trees. Shackel and team think this new method will allow growers to use less water by not irrigating early in the season, and trees…

Professor Fiona Goggin of the University of Arkansas

Article

UC Davis Doctoral Alumna to Give Lecture on 'Plant Defensive Signaling'

April 15th, 2025

Bug Squad BlogBy Kathy Keatley GarveyUC Davis doctoral alumna Fiona Goggin, professor of entomology and plant pathology at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, will return to UC Davis on Monday, April 21 to deliver a lecture hosted by the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.Professor…

Come down or Zoom in for this Avocado Seminar on Irrigation

Article

Avocado Seminar - Water

April 15th, 2025

By Ben A Faber

California Avocado Growers Seminars Series 2025 Our Next SeminarApril 16 (1 -3 PM) Water Knowledge isPower KnowledgeIn-Person and Zoom Topics and Speakers Sources of ET information and their ReliabilityBy Ali Montazar - UCCE Irrigation Advisor, Imperial/San Diego/ Riverside counties…

Lupin flowers

Article

Gardener with Hearts: Growing a Resilient Future

April 15th, 2025

By Kristian M Salgado-Jacobo

UC Master Gardeners are making a difference by combining their expertise in horticulture with a strong focus on climate readiness in their communities. Through innovative climate literacy and soil education, these dedicated volunteers work together with residents to empower them with the knowledge and…

Article

Identifying Mechanism to Citrus Greening

April 15th, 2025

By Ben A Faber

Scientists decode citrus greening resistance and develop AI-assisted treatmentPeeChinese Academy of Sciences HeadquartersYE JianInstitute of Microbiologyjianye@im.ac.cn Cell: 86-10-64807363 image: Decode natural resistance against citrus greening disease and Develop AI-designed disease…

What Bt looks like

Article

Managing Pesticides

April 15th, 2025

Nature’s plan for delaying pest resistance decipheredA new study cracks the code for increasing sustainability of the pest-killing proteins in genetically engineered crops.University of ArizonaElena LopezUniversity of Arizonapelopez@arizona.edu Cell: 5203428712 Farmers in dozens of countries have…

Bohart Museum 75th anniversary banner

Article

Swing That Net!

April 14th, 2025

Bug Squad BlogBy Kathy Keatley GarveySwing that net! Catch that butterfly!The Bohart Museum of Entomology at UC Davis encouraged people of all ages to show their skills at netting a butterfly replica on the Briggs Hall lawn last Saturday during the 111th annual campuswide UC Davis Picnic Day.The Bohart…

Four men in weedy area. One is holding a measuring container while another sprays liquid into it from a wand attached to a backpack sprayer. A third person holds a clipboard and the furth holds a stopwatch.

Article

New Online Course: Calibrating Herbicide Applications for Non-Agricultural Areas

April 14th, 2025

By Cheryl A Reynolds

Calibration might sound intimidating, but it’s critical for safe and effective herbicide application. Proper calibration ensures that the correct amount of pesticide is applied to an area while achieving the desired level of pest control. To support land managers and pesticide applicators, the UC Statewide…

Article

Earwigs - Friend or Foe?

April 14th, 2025

UC IPMAgricultureCitrusEuropean Earwig Agriculture: Citrus Pest Management GuidelinesEuropean EarwigForficula auriculariaOn This PageDescription of the Pest Damage Management Description of the PestThe introduced European earwig is the most common of several earwig species that can occur in citrus…

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)

Article

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…

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)

Article

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

Article

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…

Looking for more related content?

Advice To Grow By

Water Conservation Tips

Click here for water conservation tips and tricks and help conserve water!

Garden Notes Blog
Previously Garden Notes Newsletter

Sign up for the San Joaquin UC Master Gardener Blog
Don't miss out on any of our seasonal and timely posts!

View all of our blog posts

UC Master Gardeners are here to help answer your gardening questions.
Click Here for Contact Info

Contribute for a Better Future