Pest Management & Plant Health

(Este post est disponible en espaol) In early September 2023, nearly the entire growing area around the city of Brentwood was put under a quarantine by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) (see current included area).

Plentiful rainfall in California this spring created an ideal environment for many plants to thrive, including wildflowers, trees, and shrubs that desperately needed the water. However, other potentially harmful species also benefited from the unusually wet weather.

Who takes images of yellowjackets? What, nobody? I don't usually photograph yellowjackets because (1) I prefer to take images of their cousins, the honey bees and (2) yellowjackets are always moving. By the time I observe one, and raise the camera, the insect is long gone.

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.

Mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, lice and bed bugs will be featured when the Bohart Museum of Entomology hosts an open house on "Household Vampires" from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 23.

Living with pests, or unwanted guests as some put it, can take a physical, mental and economic toll. For people living in multi-family unit housing, like an apartment complex where everyone lives under one roof, a single infestation of insects or rodents can expose all residents.

One early morning this past weekend while outside enjoying a cup of coffee, I noticed a cloud of mosquitoes buzzing around my legs. I jumped up and ran off. But too late! Not long after, I discovered at least 10 mosquito bites on my legs. I was annoyed but also a little concerned.

Barb goatgrass (Aegilops triuncialis L.) is a winter annual grass native to the Mediterranean region and western Asia. According to a UCANR publication, it was introduced to Sacramento and El Dorado Counties via the importation of cattle from Mexico.

Eucalypt trees have become abundant in the California landscape, but so have the many invasive eucalypt pests that have arrived in California in the last couple decades.

What do you think of when someone mentions "household vampires?" Fleas? Ticks? Bed bugs? Mosquitoes? Yes! The Bohart Museum of Entomology will host an open house, themed "Household Vampires," from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept.