Pest Management & Plant Health

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A western yellowjacket, Vespula pensylvanica, peers at the photographer. It is on a Myoporum at Bodega Bay. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

Portrait of a Yellowjacket

September 18, 2023
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Who takes images of yellowjackets? What, nobody? I don't usually photograph yellowjackets because (1) I prefer to take images of their cousins, the honey bees and (2) yellowjackets are always moving. By the time I observe one, and raise the camera, the insect is long gone.
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Several plastic bottles of cleaning solutions and a blue microfiber towel.
Pests in the Urban Landscape: Article

Disinfectants and Sterilizers: The Lesser-known Pesticides

September 18, 2023
By Lauren Fordyce
Did you know that disinfectants and sterilizers are pesticides? Any substance that claims to kill, destroy, prevent, or repel a pest, including germs, is considered a pesticide. So cleaning products that claim to sterilize or kill germs on surfaces or be effective against bacteria like E.
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Mosquito magnified to show insect biting someone.
The Stanislaus Sprout: Article

Pesky and Sometimes Deadly Mosquitoes

September 14, 2023
By Anne E Schellman
One early morning this past weekend while outside enjoying a cup of coffee, I noticed a cloud of mosquitoes buzzing around my legs. I jumped up and ran off. But too late! Not long after, I discovered at least 10 mosquito bites on my legs. I was annoyed but also a little concerned.
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Rancher Carol Kramer managing barb goatgrass with prescribed fire. Jul 13, 2023.

Lighting (Rx) Fires in July

September 14, 2023
By Daniel K Macon
Barb goatgrass (Aegilops triuncialis L.) is a winter annual grass native to the Mediterranean region and western Asia. According to a UCANR publication, it was introduced to Sacramento and El Dorado Counties via the importation of cattle from Mexico.
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Aedes aegypti, the yellow fever mosquito. (Photo courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Bug Squad: Article

Household Vampires Want Your Blood

September 13, 2023
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
What do you think of when someone mentions "household vampires?" Fleas? Ticks? Bed bugs? Mosquitoes? Yes! The Bohart Museum of Entomology will host an open house, themed "Household Vampires," from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept.
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Ryan Hill: Weed Science and Agronomy Advisor
UC Weed Science (weed control, management, ecology, and minutia): Article

New Advisor for Weed Science and Agronomy: Ryan Hill

September 11, 2023
By Ryan Hill
My name is Ryan Hill, and I am the new UC Cooperative Extension Weed Science and Agronomy Advisor in Tehama County, also serving Shasta and Glenn counties. I received a B.S. in Biology from George Fox University in 2014 and an M.S.
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A landscape photo of an oak tree with dying, leafless branches in a meadow of dry brown grass.
Pests in the Urban Landscape: Article

Sudden oak death: what is it?

September 11, 2023
Sudden oak death (SOD) is a disease syndrome that has killed millions of native oak trees (Figure 1) along the west coast of the United States, from Big Sur in California up to Southern Oregon.
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