Current projects (2020 – 2021)
Evaluation of bait station systems for use against subterranean termites in CA
- Western subterranean termites attacking single-family homes
- Baits represent reduced-risk alternative to liquid termiticides
- New systems and approaches have been registered with the state
- 15 field sites have been established throughout the state
Project measures efficacy, cost, and participant satisfaction
Developing baiting programs for yellowjackets at parks, schools, and other sensitive sites
- Yellowjacket wasps are seasonal outdoor stinging pests, representing nuisance and, rarely, public health concern
- Ongoing evaluation of bait formulations developed at UC Riverside
- Baits eliminate entire colonies while minimizing pesticide exposure
Several active field sites in Contra Costa County
Developing educational materials and outreach programs to help prevent and manage bed bugs in CA’s multi-unit, low-income housing environments
- Creation of interactive bilingual online training for tenants
- Creation of printed bilingual resources for the public at retail pesticide point-of-sale environments (targeting DIY tenants)
Development of in-person training programs for housing management professionals and code enforcement officers
Initial studies of the three-lined cockroach in CA
- Ongoing monitoring of SF Bay Area populations of Luridiblatta trivittata, the three-lined cockroach, a small invasive nuisance species sometimes misidentified as a public health pest
- Biological and ecological investigations will help pest management professionals exclude and control this new urban cockroach
Ongoing evaluations of bait products and protocols
Curricula development and outreach programs
- Providing IPM services for schools and child care centers
- Providing IPM services for multi-unit housing environments
Conserving pollinators while managing pests in urban landscapes
