Pest Management & Plant Health

There's not much of a generation gap when it comes to recipients of the prestigious Kenneth A. Spencer Award of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

If you like or grow citrus, you ought to be worried about the worldwide threat of the deadly citrus greening disease (Huanglongbing or HLB) caused by infected Asian citrus psyllids (ACP). The global economic toll is already estimated in the billions.

(Update: The seminars are now uploaded for public viewing. See links.) The UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology will launch its fall quarter seminars on Wednesday, Sept. 25.

The latest issue of the Retail Nursery and Garden Center IPM Newsletter is now available. In this newsletter we address the science surrounding herbicides, personal protective equipment when using pesticides, and our upcoming training exclusively for retail nursery and garden center employees.

Help for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County Client's Request: Hi Master Gardeners, I live in Oakley and have had a worm bin in the backyard for several years.

Armyworms can be a serious pest in rice. The worms can eat the rice foliate or panicles, and cause yield reductions. In 2015, a severe outbreak of armyworms caught rice growers by surprise, resulting in yield losses.

If you've been finding more milkweed bugs than monarchs on your milkweed, join the crowd. Monarchs are scarce--at least around Solano and Yolo counties--but milkweed bugs are quite plentiful.

If you're a beekeeper or plan to be a beekeeper, you're aware of Public Enemy No. 1. That would be the varroa mite, Varroa destructor, an eight-legged external parasite that attacks and feeds on honey bees. Those mites can spread viruses and decimate a healthy colony.

They came to learn about honey bees, how to become a beekeeper, and how to plan for their first hive.

If you're a beekeeper, you not only keep bees in your hive, but unfortunately, varroa mites. This major pest of honey bees is considered Public Enemy No. 1 in the beekeeping world.