Gardening

Ripe, juicy, sweet blackberries: what's not to love? Blackberries are grown for us to eat and enjoy, but some species can be considered weeds when they take over home landscapes, roadsides and waterways, and other areas.

The invasive pest spotlight focuses on emerging or potential invasive pests in California. In this issue, we cover the brown widow spider.

While venomous spiders like black widows are well-known, there are many harmless spiders that live in and around our homes and outdoor areas. Spiders are beneficial because they prey on insects and other pests. Most spiders are not likely to bite you and are not dangerous.

You may not think about rodents such as rats, mice, or gophers until they become a pest around your home. Because rodents can be major pests in and around homes, gardens, landscapes, restaurants, and other buildings, each year pest control experts celebrate Rodent Awareness Week.

Arachnophobia: Should You Be Afraid of Spiders? Fear of spiders, arachnophobia, is a widespread problem in western societies. This fear is not only of spiders but can extend to all land arthropods with more than six legsthe arachnids.

The UC IPM Urban & Community Program hosts monthly webinars that are free and open to the public. Join us every third Thursday from 12pm-1pm for helpful pest related information. All webinars are recorded and posted on the UC IPM YouTube channel soon after.

Knowing what weedy grass you have in your lawn or landscape is very important in being able to properly control it. Dallisgrass is a common perennial weed that is easily identified and grows in uneven clumps in lawns and turf.

Many people think wild rabbits hopping around are adorablethere's even an international rabbit day celebrating wild and domestic rabbitsbut they're less welcome when they're eating your carefully tended garden. Wild rabbits in California can devour your garden vegetables, just like Peter Cottontail.

Abiotic plant disorders are generally caused by environmental conditions, rather than microorganisms. They are sometimes called noninfectious diseases. Abiotic disorders can develop if a plant's needs are not being met.

The invasive pest spotlight focuses on emerging or potential invasive pests in California. In this issue we are covering the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB). Brown marmorated stink bug facts BMSB can cause severe crop and garden losses and become a nuisance in and around homes and other buildings.