Pest Management & Plant Health

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To help control ants inside, wipe them up, along with their chemical trails, with an all-purpose cleaner, and fill tiny gaps, cracks and holes with caulk to make their entry difficult.

Controlling ants the healthy way

July 24, 2020
By Jeannette Warnert
Spotting ants in the home or yard is no reason to reach for insecticide sprays or call an exterminator. UC Cooperative Extension experts say the insects can be managed by residents in ways that are effective, inexpensive, safe and environmentally kind. Ants are probably the No.
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This image by Keith Waldron shows rootworm damage. The corn rootworm is a billion-dollar pest.
Bug Squad: Article

UC Davis Researcher and Colleagues Target 'Billion-Dollar Pest'

July 23, 2020
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
If you like corn, you should be concerned about a pest that's known as "the billion-dollar beetle." The Western corn rootworm is called that because its larvae ravage America's corn crops to the economic tune of $1 billion a year.
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Head lice adults, nymphs, and eggs (nits). [Credit: Dr. Shujuan (Lucy) Li]
Pests in the Urban Landscape: Article

Want Another Reason to Practice Social Distancing? Head Lice.

July 20, 2020
By Karey Windbiel-Rojas, Belinda Messenger-Sikes
Most people are practicing social distancing due to the current pandemic, so contracting head lice might not be a top concern right now. However, many families with young children have at least one encounter with head lice at some time or another.
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Western Farm Press logo
UC Weed Science (weed control, management, ecology, and minutia): Article

Weed control intensifies as harvest nears

July 19, 2020
By Gale Perez
Have you seen Lee Allen's article in the Western Farm Press (July 15, 2020) on weed control in tree nut orchards? Here's the link: https://www.farmprogress.
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Terry's garden.

Gardening is Not for the Timid

July 16, 2020
By Anne E Schellman
When I began gardening, many moons ago, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had this idealized picture in my head of what gardening was all about. A picture of a smiling woman, straw hat on her head, garden trowel in hand, a cute little apron tied around her waist.
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Figure 1. A healthy backyard lawn. (Credit: C Reynolds)

Lawn Problems: Diseases Are Not Always To Blame

July 16, 2020
By Janet S Hartin
Your customers want their lawns to be beautiful and functional (Figure 1) but dead patches or other problems sometimes occur. Figuring out the cause of turfgrass damage can be a challenge since many plant pathogens affect grasses as well as numerous abiotic (non-living) disorders.
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Laying plastic with a tractor for soil solarization
UC Weed Science (weed control, management, ecology, and minutia): Article

The Heat is On: Soil Solarization

July 15, 2020
By Margaret G Lloyd
From the Small and Organic Farm Advisor Blog ************** The Heat is On: Soil Solarization The days are long and the temperatures are high. This is a great time to solarize the soil in the Central Valley as a way to manage annual weeds and improve the growth of fall crops.
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Vegetable Meeting Agenda Jul20

UCCE Online Vegetable Production Meeting on the Central Coast

July 14, 2020
Upcoming online meeting on July 30th 2020 from 8:30am to 12pm. Register for this ZOOM event at: https://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=30593 You will receive the ZOOM link for the meeting by email after the registration. Agenda for this meeting is below.
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Figure 1. Disinfecting wipes contain different pesticide ingredients such as the ammonia compound shown here.
Pests in the Urban Landscape: Article

Using Disinfectants and Sanitizers Safely

July 14, 2020
By Karey Windbiel-Rojas, Belinda Messenger-Sikes
In order to stay healthy and keep our spaces clean during the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are using disinfectants and sanitizers more than they may have before.
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