Pest Management & Plant Health

green lawn marred by piles of dirt dug up by a lawn pest
UC Master Gardeners of El Dorado County: Article

Central Sierra: What is Wrecking Your Lawn?

October 3, 2025
How to identify the pests that are damaging your lawn What is wrecking your lawn? It could be skunks, raccoons, moles, voles, pocket gophers, or lawn insects. Each leave behind evidence and signs of their presence.Skunks are out at dusk, during the night, and at dawn in residential areas searching for…
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A lighter-colored, spindly grass embedded in a darker green lawn.

Do You Hate Crabgrass?

October 1, 2025
By Belinda Messenger-Sikes
Crabgrass popping up in your lawn or landscape can be aggravating, but don't despair -- you can manage this common annual weed with integrated pest management!  First, make sure that you are dealing with crabgrass and not a lookalike grass like dallisgrass or bermudagrass. The newly revised Pest Notes:…
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A light green plant with many branching stems and bright yellow, spiky flowers.

Managing Invasive Plants: Your Questions Answered!

September 22, 2025
By Lindsey Hack
UC IPM recently hosted a webinar about invasive plant management in California. During the presentation, our speakers Constance Taylor and Jutta Burger from the California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC) answered live questions from attendees. Below are some of those questions and answers. If you…
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side-by-side image of virtual fence boundary and movement of heifers within it
UCCE Central Sierra: Article

Central Sierra: Introduction to Virtual Fencing for Livestock and Land Management

September 12, 2025
By Brian J Allen
Virtual Fencing: A New Tool for Livestock and Land Management Virtual fencing (VF) is a precision agriculture tool gaining traction across California’s diverse rangelands. It uses GPS collars to contain livestock without physical fences. Producers set virtual boundaries across their pasture from a…
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A large black beetle on a spiny green succulent plant.

 Aloe and Agave Pests 

September 11, 2025
By Eric G Middleton
Succulents like aloes and agaves are common landscape plants throughout much of California and are prized both for their beauty and their drought tolerant features. Unfortunately there are several arthropod pests that can damage or even kill these hardy plants. Below are three pests you should be aware of if…
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illustration of auditory zone and electric pulse zone in rangeland and close up of cattle with GPS collar
Collection

Central Sierra: Virtual Fencing Information

UC Central Sierra research on Virtual Fencing on California Rangelands Virtual Fencing is a precision agriculture tool gaining traction across California's diverse rangelands that uses GPS collars to contain livestock without physical fences. Research and trials are ongoing, and many of the…
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A bright red strawberry with a damaged, mushy section that has a tiny, white, worm-like maggot on it.
Pests in the Urban Landscape: Article

Is That a Maggot in My Berry?

September 8, 2025
By Cherie Shook
 A little red-eyed fly is trending on social media for all the wrong reasons. Why? Because people are finding maggots in some of their berries! Sounds gross, but what is it?   This small fly, called spotted-wing drosophila (SWD), love soft-skinned fruits such as cherries, blueberries,…
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Brad Hanson lecturing at Weed Science School 2023
UC Weed Science (weed control, management, ecology, and minutia): Article

Weed Science School 2025

September 4, 2025
By Sam Romano
 Weed Science School is less than two weeks away! Join the UC Davis Weed Research and Information Center for this 2.5 day course. Learn through lectures and laboratory demonstrations at the Bowley Plant Science Teaching Facility at 1200 Extension Center Drive in Davis, CA on September 16-18, 2025.Weed…
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