Pest Management & Plant Health

Facing a deluge of lower-price products from Europe, the California olive oil industry is doubling down on its clear-cut competitive edge: the consistent and bona fide quality of its oil.

The date of Sept. 28 is significant. It's the birthday anniversary of noted entomologist Richard "Doc" Bohart (1913-2007), founder of the Bohart Museum of Entomology, University of California, Davis.

It's great to see two high school seniors spend their summer doing research in a UC Davis nematology lab as young scholars in the UC Davis Young Scholars Program (YSP) YSP is a six-week summer residential program that introduces several dozen high-achieving high school students to original research...

You may have never seen this tiny bug that's causing big trouble. But agriculturists and scientists have. The spotted-wing drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii, is an agricultural pest that is super tiny. It's approximately 2 to 4 millimeters in length with a wingspan of 5 to 6.5 millimeters.

If you've noticed tiny, dark insects flying around your houseplants, you likely have fungus gnats. These tiny flies can be a nuisance indoors and may also damage your plants. Fungus gnats lay their eggs in moist soil and their larvae feed on plant roots and decaying organic matter.

From honey bees to butterflies to nematodes--those will be some of the topics when the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology hosts its fall quarter seminars. The seminars begin Monday afternoon, Sept. 30 and continue every Monday through Dec. 2.

Since the first reports of a new almond pest the carpophilus beetle (Carpophilus truncatus) came in during fall 2023, it has become clear that the beetle is widely dispersed across the San Joaquin Valley.

Welcome to Smart Water Living Blog– your local guide to urban water efficiency and conservation in Southern California. From drought-tolerant landscaping to smart irrigation and water-wise policies, we share practical tips, expert insights, and real stories to help you save water without sacrificing comfort…

Just a few more weeks of summer remain! As the weather begins to shift, you may need to adjust your landscaping practices to prevent and monitor for fall pests. The UC IPM Seasonal Landscape IPM Checklist is a monthly guide to help you avoid common pests of landscape plants.

There aren't that many nematologists who can say their career spans 64 years. UC Davis Distinguished Professor Emeritus Howard Ferris can.