Hotline
Got Gardening Questions?
Visit or call the Hotline
Wednesday 9am-12pm
Thursday 1-4pm
Call: 530-538-7201
Or drop by: The Butte County Cooperative Extension Office
2279-B Del Oro Avenue
Oroville, CA 95965
Email Us at mgbutte@ucanr.edu. Include a description and photos of the problem. See "Help Us Help You" below for what to include.
You can also catch us in person at local farmers markets or at one of our information booths. Check out where we'll be on the Events page.
Help Us Help You
You never can tell what's at the root of the problem. Below are some questions we may ask when you call:
- Name of plant
- Age of plant
- Soil type (loam, sandy, clay)
- Current watering methods (drip, sprinkler, hand)
- Frequency of watering
- Sun exposure
- Evidence of insects or other damage – check on both sides of leaves
- Recent changes that may effect the plant (watering, fertilizing)
Samples and photos related to your question are strongly encouraged. Drop them by the office any time, or email them to: mgbutte@ucanr.edu
What’s Hot Now?
by Barbara Hill
I found these weird bugs all over my tomatoes! What are they?
Your tomatoes are providing a feast for leaffooted bugs (Leptoglussus), a large cousin of the stinkbug named for the distinctive leaflike structures found on the adults’ rear legs. At maturity, they may reach one inch in length, with long piercing/sucking mouthparts they use to suck plant juices from leaves, shoots, and fruit. They will feed upon a wide variety of plants, and in serious infestations of agricultural crops such as almonds, pistachios, pomegranates, and citrus, a large proportion of the harvest may be lost.
Happily for the home gardener, leaffooted bugs rarely appear in sufficient numbers to cause more than minor cosmetic damage, although their predation may cause immature tomatoes to abort. Adults and smaller nymphs are often found clustered together, making identification and physical removal relatively easy. Brush bugs into a bucket of soapy water, or knock them to the ground and crush them. Check the undersides of leaves for their barrel-shaped eggs, and destroy any you find. If further outbreaks occur, a combination of control methods is recommended, including application of Insecticidal soap; removal of weed hosts and overwintering sites; and use of physical barriers such as row covers. To protect bees and other beneficials, insecticides should only be used as a last resort.
Learn more about leaffooted bugs.
Photo by siamesepuppy