Pest Management & Plant Health

Integrated pest management (IPM) specialist Frank Zalom, a distinguished professor with the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology and a past president of the Entomological Society of America (ESA), played a key role in a U.S.

Shot hole borers are tiny insects the size of a sesame seed that don't look particularly harmful, but don't let their diminutive size fool you. Two of these borers are invasivethe polyphagous shot hole borer and the Kuroshio shot hole borer.

When people think of parasites, often what comes to mind are blood-sucking insects like bed bugs, head lice, and fleas or other bodily invaders on or in humans and other animals. But plants can have parasites too.

It's getting hot and dry in the Central Valley and the movement of equipment in and out of fields/orchards/vineyards has the potential to stir up a significant amount of dust. Among its other impacts to agriculture (soil erosion, tissue damage, reduced photosynthesis, etc...

UC Cooperative Extension in Merced County and Bowles Farming are hosting the 2nd Annual Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), Drone, Field Day on Tuesday, June 26, 2018. The event will run from 8:30-11:30 am and will be held at Bowles Farming headquarters in Los Banos (11069 Hereford Road).

People in urban and suburban areas often use the term invasive to describe plants or weeds that appear to take over a garden or landscape. However, true invasive plants are weeds that infest ecosystems, rangelands, and pastureplaces common garden weeds don't thrive.

It may surprise you to learn that California is home to invasive wild pigs, also called feral hogs or wild boars. Wild pigs can be a major nuisance for farmers, ranchers, and others who live in more rural areas or near wildlands.

Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County Client's Request: I have a Crape Myrtle bush/tree that is about 15 years old. The last 4 to 5 years it starts out with new growth in the spring with nice green leaves.

As part of our coverage of California Invasive Species Action Week, today we focus on a pair of invasive species that work together: an insect called the Asian citrus psyllid and the plant disease it can spread, huanglongbing.

Spring is in full swing and summer is right around the corner. If you work in agricultural, turf, landscape, or structural settings, you are probably at your busiest. If you handle pesticides as part of your work, you most likely wear some sort of personal protective equipment (PPE).