Research Activities
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
