Gardening

Strong winds from the latest winter storm have downed trees and branches throughout Northern California and may have also damaged plants in your garden and landscape. Further damage from wind or hail can be reduced with proper cultural care.

Bed bugs can hitch rides on secondhand furniture, luggage, backpacks and other personal items to invade homes and attack people. While we rest and sleep on sofas and beds, the insects come out to feed. They want to suck our blood.

While we continue to spend more time than usual indoors, you may have noticed a few unexpected (and perhaps unwanted) co-occupants like ants, cockroaches, or mice.

Insecticide foggers, also known as total release foggers or bug bombs (Figure 1), are popular products widely available in many retail nurseries and garden centers as well as drug stores, supermarkets, and convenience stores.

Human lice (singular louse) are parasitic insects found on people. Adult lice are small (about 1/8 inch (3 mm) long or less) wingless insects that move by crawling. There are three species of lice that exclusively feed on humans: the head louse, the body louse, and the crab or pubic louse.

Most pest management professionals have served clients who swore they were being bitten by unseen pests. Perhaps the usual suspects (bed bugs, fleas, and mosquitoes) were ruled out by thorough inspection and monitoring devices.

We are fortunate in California that not only can we grow vegetables in summer, but winter gardening is also an opportunity to grow vegetables and spend some time outdoors. Cool-season vegetables include broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, and spinach.

In September 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 1788, which prohibits almost all uses of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) statewide.

Give the gift of knowledge this holiday season! Save up to 60% on select UC ANR gardening and landscape pest management publications now through December 11.

If you're planning to get a holiday tree for your home, you may find unexpected guests have already made their home in your evergreen selection. Common holiday trees such as firs, pines, and spruces can host pests such as aphids, scales, mites, bark beetles, or even praying mantis egg cases.