Pest Management

How to identify the pests that are damaging your lawn What is wrecking your lawn? It could be skunks, raccoons, moles, voles, pocket gophers, or lawn insects. Each leave behind evidence and signs of their presence.Skunks are out at dusk, during the night, and at dawn in residential areas searching for…

 (Este post está disponible en español)Strawberries in a hot climate:       Strawberries are a choice crop for many small farms in California's central valley who operate roadside farmstands and u-pick (aka "pick-your-own") for direct sales to customers, but the hot climate of the…

From tree-mapping to pest education, UC Master Gardeners are helping Californians combat invasive plants and pests through early detection, community science, and statewide partnerships.

Two worms and one idea (monitoring):     One of the main challenges to growing tree fruits are pests that can destroy the fruit or make it unmarketable. Some pests can injure the trees directly, affecting their growth.  The oriental fruit moth (scientific name, Grapholita molesta)…

Virtual Fencing: Collaring and Training Livestock In an earlier article, we introduced virtual fencing (VF) as a system for containing livestock without traditional fences. Now, let’s explore how to collar and train livestock to recognize these virtual boundaries.Setting Up Virtual Fencing Collars …

We’re thrilled to celebrate the incredible success of the tree-of-heaven scouting portion of the Invasive Species Scout Project. Thanks to the passion, curiosity, and dedication of our UC Master Gardener volunteers, this community science initiative surpassed all expectations. Over the past year and a half,…

Please join us for the 2025 Lettuce Fusarium Wilt Trial Field Day in Soledad - August 26, 2025 10 am - 12 pm. Trials include variety evaluations, steam treatment evaluations, and fungicide evaluations. Pre-registration is strongly suggested. Please see full article for additional info and directions.

 In July's edition of the Pesticide Regulation bulletin published by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, urban pest expert Dr. Andrew Sutherland outlines key strategies for implementing effective Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs. These include using physical control methods like…

In EnglishLa temporada de los mosquitos sigue en su apogeo en California y el mortal virus de Nilo Occidental continúa abriéndose camino por el estado. Los funcionarios de salud han identificado la presencia del virus en 17 condados y confirmado una muerte humana en lo que va del año. El virus del Nilo…

In Part 1 of this story, we covered some basics of biological control. Now let’s talk about some of the good bugs helping to control invasive pests in California. Controlling yellow starthistle one weevil at a timeYellow starthistle (YST) is a harmful invasive plant that is established and widespread in…