Pesticide Management

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Information on the pesticide active ingredient neem oil. From the UC IPM Pesticide Active Ingredient Database.
Pests in the Urban Landscape: Article

Updated Pesticide Active Ingredient Database from UC IPM

May 9, 2024
By Lauren Fordyce
The University of California Statewide IPM Program (UC IPM) has an exciting, newly updated resource to help you better understand pesticide active ingredients and the risks different active ingredients pose to people and the environment.
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Figure 4. Examples of lawn-concrete interface in residential settings. The picture on the left shows one of the lawn-concrete sites tested in the experiment. Photos by Dong-Hwan Choe.
Pests in the Urban Landscape: Article

Strategic Placement of Ant Baits

March 26, 2024
By Dong Hwan Choe
Ants are one of the major seasonal pests around structures in California's urban environments. Pest management companies throughout the state report that ants are responsible for a significant proportion of their pest control services.
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A close up of two green pesticide bottles.
Pests in the Urban Landscape: Article

Protect Yourself from Pesticides

February 20, 2024
By Lauren Fordyce
If you've used disinfecting wipes to clean surfaces in your home, an herbicide to control weeds in your garden, or insect repellents while on a hike, then you have used a pesticide.
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Figure 4. Time required for western subterranean termites to begin consuming baits installed during four different seasons in California’s San Francisco Bay Area. Red points on termite heads represent the average time-to-attack (number of days between installation and first observation of bait consumption). Red bars extending above and below each point represent standard error of the mean. Photo by Casey Hubble, UCCE.
Pests in the Urban Landscape: Article

Termite Bait Study

November 28, 2023
By Andrew M Sutherland
Subterranean termites (Family Rhinotermitidae) are considered the most serious wood-destroying pests in the world, causing an estimated $32 billion in global economic impact each year. California is home to both native and introduced subterranean termite species (Figure 1).
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A close up of narrow, long green leaves of a peach tree. Some leaves have curled and are red and distored from peach leaf curl.

Peach leaf curl spray timing

November 14, 2023
By Lauren Fordyce
Peach leaf curl is a fungal disease that only affects peach and nectarine trees. The fungus causes distorted, reddened leaves to appear on the tree in the spring.
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Several plastic bottles of cleaning solutions and a blue microfiber towel.

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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A man wearing a mask, gloves, long sleeve shirt, and pants applying a pesticide dust into a crack on an exterior wall.

Hiring a pest control company?

August 22, 2023
By Lauren Fordyce
Some pest problems can be easily handled at home yourself. But if your pest issue is a bit more serious, or you don't have the time or tools to address it yourself, hiring a pest control company might be your best option.
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Figure 2. Visual rating of phytotoxicity to grasses (A) and broadleaves (B) from herbicides used in the Sacramento trial. Arrows indicate second and third repeat applications after the initial treatment.
Pests in the Urban Landscape: Article

Organic Herbicides for Weed Control in Urban Landscapes

March 30, 2023
By Karey Windbiel-Rojas
Weed management in landscaped areas can be challenging. Weeds may need to be controlled for public safety, fire reduction, aesthetics, and elimination of harborage for other pests.
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Disinfecting a surface.
Pests in the Urban Landscape: Article

Use Caution with Disinfectants

December 1, 2022
By Lauren Fordyce
With Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV) on the rise, and Covid-19 and the flu remaining constant worries, disinfectant products are more and more likely to be used in the home, office, school, restaurant, and other public areas.
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Figure 1. A coyote scavenging a dead rat in a suburban backyard. Photo by game camera.
Pests in the Urban Landscape: Article

Rats, Rodenticides, and Research

June 20, 2022
By Niamh M Quinn
Where is rodenticide exposure in wildlife coming from? Is it from use by residents or farmers? Applications by marijuana growers? Or from applications by qualified and trained structural pest control professionals?
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