Pest Management & Plant Health

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A milkweed bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus, as identified by curator Michael Pirrello of iNaturalist) peers over the leaf of a milkweed plant, Asclepias speciosa, in a Sonoma County. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

The Red Invaders: Those Colorful Milkweed Bugs

August 28, 2019
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
If you've been finding more milkweed bugs than monarchs on your milkweed, join the crowd. Monarchs are scarce--at least around Solano and Yolo counties--but milkweed bugs are quite plentiful.
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A varroa mite on a drone pupa. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Entomology & Nematology News: Article

Upcoming UC Davis Bee Course: How to Manage Varroa Mites

August 26, 2019
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
If you're a beekeeper, you not only keep bees in your hive, but unfortunately, varroa mites. This major pest of honey bees is considered Public Enemy No. 1 in the beekeeping world.
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Second Cut to a Russian Olive Stump
UC Weed Science (weed control, management, ecology, and minutia): Article

Chainsaws for Weed Control? Why Not!

August 26, 2019
By Thomas J Getts
While typically associated with timber production and arborists, chainsaws are one of the tools available to those tasked with removing non-desirable woody vegetation.
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Leaf-footed Bugs on Pomegranates
HOrT COCO-UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa: Article

Leaf-Footed Bugs Eating YOUR Pomegranates!

August 26, 2019
Help for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County Client Request: Hi...I am looking for some help. I have a pomegranate tree that I have enjoyed since moving in my home in 2006.
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An assassin bug drills a pest, a spotted cucumber beetle. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

Let's Hear It for Biocontrol, Integrated Pest Management

August 23, 2019
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Let's hear it for biocontrol. You've seen lady beetles, aka ladybugs, preying on aphids. But have you seen an assassin bug attack a spotted cucumber beetle? No? How about a crab spider munching on a stink bug? All biocontrol, part of integrated pest management (IPM).
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A conk, the fruiting body of the fungus <i>Phellinus ignarius</i> on black walnut. (Credit: AJ Downer, UCCE Ventura County)
Pests in the Urban Landscape: Article

Wood Decay Fungi in Landscape Trees

August 23, 2019
Landscape trees provide welcome shade, fruit, homes for wildlife, and even a place for kids to climb. But if the wood is damaged, disease-causing fungi can infect the tree. A number of fungal diseases decay wood in both tree branches and trunks, weakening and sometimes killing the tree.
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UC Rice Blog: Article

Rice Blast in 2019

August 21, 2019
By Luis Espino
The last time we saw a severe blast epidemic was 2011. Since then, we haven't had much blast; in fact, I had not see any blast at all during several years. I don't think 2019 qualifies as a severe blast year, but there is more blast than in the previous few years.
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