Pest Management & Plant Health

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Bowl of guacamole with tortilla chips on the side.

IPM for Super Bowl Snacks

February 4, 2021
With the Super Bowl coming up this weekend, you may be planning delicious snacks to enjoy while watching the game. We, on the other hand, are thinking about how IPM can help home gardeners with some of the fruits and vegetables they grow that might be enjoyed on Super Bowl Sunday.
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Adult pocket gopher coming out of its burrow in a field.

Groundhogs and Other Burrowing Rodents

February 2, 2021
Annually on February 2, groundhogs get a lot of coverage. Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, are burrowing rodents often found in the eastern United States. But in California, any shadows from burrowing rodents are unlikely to be a groundhog.
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A honey bee loading up on mustard pollen. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

It's All About the Birds and the Bees and the Flowers and the...

February 1, 2021
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
It's all about the birds and the bees and the flowers and the... Think birds and bats, honey bees and hornets, butterflies and beetles, and the flowers they pollinate. Think yeast cultures and cougars, and nematodes and nightingales, and lions and ladybugs.
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“If it’s growing close to your house, there’s a potential it could send its rhizomes and break through your foundation,” says Jatinder Aulakh, an assistant weed scientist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. Photo from Japanese Knotweed Solutions, Ltd.

Oh, No, Not Knotweed!

February 1, 2021
By Gale Perez
Thanks to our friend at Cornell (Lynn Sosnoskie) for sharing the article,"Oh, No, Not Knotweed!" by Henry Grabar from the Pocket Worthy website. Oh, No, Not Knotweed! It's been over four years since I bought hypodermic needles at a CVS, squatted in my backyard, and drew them full of glyphosate.
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Downed tree with exposed roots in front of residence.

Storm Damage in Landscapes

January 27, 2021
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.
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Close up image of adult bed bug.

Californians get advice to stop bed bugs

January 22, 2021
By Pamela S Kan-Rice
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.
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Virginia creeper with some flower buds. Photo credit Linnaeus~commons. CC-3.0

Virginia Creeper: A Plant I've Grown to Hate

January 20, 2021
By Dustin W Blakey
Usually I write up little articles on plants I like, but this post is about a plant I've learned to detest since moving to Owens Valley: Virginia creeper. Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is related to grapes. Except for the obviously different foliage it has a similar growth pattern.
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