Gardening

The Invasive Pest Spotlight focuses on relevant or emerging invasive species in California. In this issue we are covering brooms, a group of invasive shrubs. Invasive Broom facts Brooms are upright shrubs in the legume family that typically produce small, yellow, pea-shaped flowers.

Some pest problems can be easily handled at home yourself. But if your pest issue is a bit more serious, or you don't have the time or tools to address it yourself, hiring a pest control company might be your best option.

Tomatoes are ripening all over California right now keeping many gardeners and tomato lovers busy picking, canning, and eating. But what may not make gardeners happy are seeing curled leaves and not knowing why. There are many reasons why your tomato leaves may be curling or rolling.

They may seem too tiny to do much damage to a mature, healthy tree, but invasive shothole borers (ISHB) are responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of trees in Southern California. These beetles bore into trees and infect them with Fusarium dieback, a fungal disease that kills the trees.

You've likely come across a bee, wasp, or hornet this summer. While these insects can cause painful stings, and allergic reactions for some, they are not usually aggressive. In the landscape, they can be beneficial by providing pollination to plants and, for some, preying on pest insects.

Many of us at UC IPM are cat lovers and owners. Cats are popular household pets that bring joy and companionship to many families. Feral cats, on the other hand, can cause problems in our communities and around our homes and gardens. Feral cats are unsocialized, unowned cats that live outdoors.

The Urban & Community IPM Webinar Series has several exciting webinars coming up this summer and fall. These webinars occur on the third Thursday of every month from 12:00 to 1:00pm PDT.

In the lottery of troublesome termite infestations, Roger, a Rancho Santa Fe homeowner, hit the jackpot (a pseudonym is used to protect his privacy).

The cool, wet spring that California has experienced this year comes with many benefits, but also some drawbacks. For the false chinch bug, a small insect commonly found in grassy or weedy areas, this year's weather may result in a population boom.

The Formosan subterranean termite (FST), Coptotermes formosanus, is a very destructive pest first reported in California in 1992 in La Mesa, San Diego County. FST has since been found in Canyon Lake, Riverside County, Rancho Santa Fe (San Diego County) and Highland Park (Los Angeles County).