UCCE Master Gardeners of San Joaquin County

This week, we shared information about important invasive species, what to do if you find them, and how you can help prevent their spread. To wrap up California Invasive Species Action Week, we’d like to highlight a few key takeaways: Don’t pack or plant a pest Whether you’re traveling or gardening…

 If you're thinking about heading over to the California Honey Festival in downtown Woodland on Saturday, June 21, don't.It's moved to the nearby Yolo County Fairgrounds, located at 1250 East Gum Ave., Woodland. "Plans change, but the fun doesn't," organizers said.The event, free and open to the public,…

The golden flowers of French broom covering hillsides and the tall, striking stalks of pampasgrass stand out on trails and roadsides. These plants may be beautiful, but they are invasive and harm California’s natural landscapes.  Invasive plants outcompete and crowd out native plants, damaging…

     It's National Pollinator Month, the month to raise awareness about the importance of pollinators and their vital role in food production and in our ecosystems. Take this male foothill carpenter bee, (Xylocopa tabaniformis orpifex).We spotted it nectaring on mallow in a…

You may not see them, but small hitchhikers can cling to your boats, trailers, fishing gear, kayaks, and paddleboards. These hitchhikers are aquatic invasive species like plants, fish, and mussels. Once introduced to a body of water, they can displace native species, clog motors, damage water delivery…

 "Tropical milkweed is not the first thing that we need to worry about in monarch butterfly conservation.”So says UC Davis professor and monarch scientist Elizabeth Crone of the Department of Evolution and Ecology.Crone is the senior author of the newly published “Neither Source Nor Trap: Urban Gardens…

While bringing firewood from home for your weekend camping trip may seem harmless, many invasive pests can hide in firewood and cause serious harm to California’s forests and urban landscapes. You can help limit the spread of these unwanted hitchhikers by collecting or buying firewood close to where you plan…

Be on the lookout for invasive species threatening California! While state and federal agencies actively monitor for new invasive pests, the public serves a critical role in early detection and often are the ones who find new invasive species first.  During California Invasive Species Action Week …

 Where are all the butterflies?Many butterfly species you remember from your childhood simply aren’t around anymore or their numbers are dwindling.  Nationally, we’ve seen a 20 percent decline in our butterfly population over the last 24 years, and that, coupled with the rising threat of extinction…

Invasive species. What does that mean? Invasive species are non-native pests that harm California’s natural areas, public health, and economy. To raise awareness about these pests, UC IPM joins other state agencies to promote the annual California Invasive Species Action Week (CISAW), which goes from June 7…

 How much do lady beetles love aphids?It's love at first bite. And it amounts to some 50 bites a day.The lady beetle, commonly known as a ladybug, is a legend when it comes to its voracious appetite. It eats some 50 aphids a day--a 50-course meal--and in its lifetime, it can polish off a whopping 5000…

 Several area agricultural communicators who won gold, or first-place awards, from the international Association for Communication Excellence (ACE), will be honored at the ACE conference set June 16-18 in Milwaukee, Wis.ACE is an association of communications professionals and educators who …

 When you think of sticks, you may think of the object you toss to your dog, what you step on while taking your morning walk, or "the stick people" masquerading as your family on the rear window of your car.But if you're at the Bohart Museum of Entomology, "sticks" can mean only one thing: the walking…

 "Better autograph that right now. That could be a valuable piece of art some day!"So said an onlooker when youngsters were creating maggot art at the recent Bohart Museum of Entomology open house. The theme: "Insects: Life Stages."Doctoral candidate Emma "Em" Jochim of the lab of Professor Jason Bond,…

 UC Davis doctoral candidate Christofer Brothers, who researches  dragonflies for his dissertation, delights in sharing his knowlege of them.And he did just that--to several hundred guests--at the recent Bohart Museum of Entomology open house on insect life stages.Brothers, a member of the Stacey…

Daniel Swain, UC ANR climate scientist, will host a live “Ask Me Anything”-style session online at 6:30-7:15 p.m. Pacific Time on Saturday, May 31.

 If you want to learn how to write a research paper, follow the "10 Principles" authored by UC Davis distinguished professor emeritus James R. Carey of the Department of Entomology and Nematology.His students have won the Science, Engineering and Mathematics (SEM) category of the UC Davis Library’s 2025…