By Penny Pawl, UC Master Gardener of Napa County . Have you ever heard of African keyhole gardening? The practice started in the 1990s in Lesotho, a small country surrounded by South Africa. With a keyhole garden, you can grow a lot of produce in a small space. They’re called keyhole gardens because the…
Doctoral candidate Mia Lippey of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, an outstanding scholar and self-described "life-long lover of all things insect-related," is looking forward to delivering her exit seminar.An entomologist and ecologist active in both the Entomological Society…
Blog by Vincent HughesHello there, and Happy New Year to everyone! And welcome to the incoming class of 2026! For those who may be unaware, the start of the new year brings with it not only the opportunity to begin working on your New Year's resolutions, but the start of class for the newest class of future…
New Year's Day is not only the beginning of a year, but it's also the beginning of two UC Davis insect contests: one involving a cabbage white butterfly, and the other, a bumble bee.Chances are no one won either one today, as it's been raining almost non-stop, and the 10-day forecast predicts an 80…
Kick Off the New Year with an Active Outdoor LifestyleFor many of us, the new year inspires goals to be more active and spend more time outdoors. But with chilly temperatures and limited daylight, finding the motivation to get outside can be tough. Still, even short bouts of outdoor movement—like walking or…
2025: Celebrating a Year of Bloom, Stewardship and Growing Community Impact"This year at the UC Davis Bee Haven, the garden blossomed with vibrant growth and renewal, reflected not only in the flourishing landscape but also in the increasing engagement and enthusiasm of the many visitors discovering…
A new cockroach in town?That's what a UC Davis retired professor thought on Tuesday, Dec. 23 when he spotted an unusual cockroach emerging from his shower drain at his Davis home.He said he "recognized it as unusual and caught it. It was a male Turkestan cockroach, Blatta lateralis, a species…
By Aileen Carroll, UC Master Gardener of Napa County. Planning ahead comes more naturally to some of us than others. I personally am perfectly happy to fly by the seat of my pants, while many of the people around me stiffen the moment plans change without warning. Fortunately, when it comes to…
There are several advantages to planting bare-root trees: they are usually less expensive, easier for gardeners to transport, and they will grow their roots entirely into native soil (rather than having to transition from potting mix into dissimilar native soil). Also, the ideal time to plant bare-root…
Suds for a bug. A butterfly for a beer...If you find and collect the first cabbage white butterfly in the three-county area of Sacramento, Yolo and Solano, and you are judged the winner of the annual "Beer for a Butterfly" Contest, you will receive a pitcher of beer or its equivalent.And bragging…
Don't tumble, fumble or crumble when you see a "bumble."Hold your camera steady. Starting Jan. 1, if you photograph or video a bumble bee in the two-county area of Solano and Yolo, and if you're judged the winner, you will win the sixth annual Robbin Thorp Memorial First-Bumble Bee-of-the-Year…
Santa sleighed us.The jolly ol' man parked his reindeer on our roof on Christmas Eve, slipped down the chimney, and what to his wondering eyes should appear--but a very territorial tuxedo cat named Miss Sarah Sylvia Cynthia Stout that hissed at him.Santa eyed the cat and the brass grasshopper ornaments…
Blog by Paula PashbyA few years ago, I wrote a blog about one of my favorite plants in our garden: the Brugmansia suaveolens, also known as the Angel's Trumpet. I purchased the plant around 20 years ago and gave it to my mom, who took care of it with love. When she passed away, we transplanted the…
The annual Yule blog...Back in 2010, UC Cooperative Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen (1944-2022) of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, and yours truly, department communications specialist, wondered why no insects appear in "The Twelve Days of ChristmasZero. Zilch…
A beautiful way to add color to your garden in winter and early spring is to plant hellebores. These perennials grow low to the ground in clumps usually no more than one- and one-half feet high, with distinctive leathery, dark-green leaves. Their flowers, about two inches across, appear in clusters that…
Remember Cole Cramer and Connor Hsu, the two Southern California insect enthusiasts who met as pre-teens at the 2022 Bio Boot Camp at UC Davis? They became fast friends, joined professional entomological societies, and formed a youth entomology group, the Lorquin Society…
Are you hanging out beneath the mistletoe? Or know someone who is? Maybe Mommy kissing Santa Claus?Scales and ants may be hanging out, too.The two insects maintain a classic mutualistic symbiosis in which ants "farm" scale insects for their sweet honeydew. It's a beneficial arrangement: scales…
This information may be of interest to those running Mixed or Integrated Farming Systems. Wednesdays • January 14 – March 18, 2026 • noon-1:15pm with optional office hours 1:15pm-2pm • Free virtual seriesHosted by CAFF, UC Organic Agriculture Institute (UC OAI), and UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE…
Blog by Cindy YeeWe have a 9-year-old dwarf Owari Satsuma mandarin tree in our front yard. This is the first year the tree has finally produced well. I purchased it from a local nursery and paid for it and others to be planted by the employees who delivered the trees. To my surprise, they…
From the UC IPM Urban and Community team, we’d like to wish you a happy holiday season! As we reflect on this past year, we’d like to express our gratitude to all of you for joining us to learn about pest management around the home and garden. This year, we’ve connected with you in various ways:…
