Pest Management & Plant Health

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Justin Valliere is the Department of Plant Sciences' new assistant professor of UC Cooperative Extension, with expertise in restoring California's natural landscapes. (Trina Kleist/UC Davis)
UC Weed Science (weed control, management, ecology, and minutia): Article

Valliere brings expertise in restoration ecology

August 27, 2023
By Gale Perez
Justin Valliere has been hired to expand the Department of Plant Sciences' reach in the fields of invasion and restoration ecology. Valliere started as an assistant professor of UC Cooperative Extension in July.
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A person standing in front of a hillside covered in yellow flowering French broom shrubs.
Pests in the Urban Landscape: Article

Invasive Pest Spotlight: Brooms

August 23, 2023
By Mackenzie F Patton
The Invasive Pest Spotlight focuses on relevant or emerging invasive species in California. In this issue we are covering brooms, a group of invasive shrubs. Invasive Broom facts Brooms are upright shrubs in the legume family that typically produce small, yellow, pea-shaped flowers.
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A man wearing a mask, gloves, long sleeve shirt, and pants applying a pesticide dust into a crack on an exterior wall.
Pests in the Urban Landscape: Article

Hiring a pest control company?

August 22, 2023
By Lauren Fordyce
Some pest problems can be easily handled at home yourself. But if your pest issue is a bit more serious, or you don't have the time or tools to address it yourself, hiring a pest control company might be your best option.
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A tomato plant with green, upward cupped leaves and a ripe red tomato.
Pests in the Urban Landscape: Article

Tomato leaves curling?

August 17, 2023
By Lauren Fordyce
Tomatoes are ripening all over California right now keeping many gardeners and tomato lovers busy picking, canning, and eating. But what may not make gardeners happy are seeing curled leaves and not knowing why. There are many reasons why your tomato leaves may be curling or rolling.
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Giuliano Galdi, UCCE Agronomy and Weed Management Advisor

New Weed Management Advisor, Giuliano Galdi

August 17, 2023
By Gale Perez
My name is Giuliano Galdi, and I am the new UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Agronomy and Weed Management Advisor located in Merced County, and also with responsibilities in Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties. In San Joaquin county, my primary responsibility will be in weed management.
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UC Davis alumna Nazzy Pakpour, who holds a doctorate microbiology, virology and parasitology from the University of Pennsylvania, reads from her children's book, "Please Don't Bite Me," at a recent Bohart Museum of Entomology open house. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

Teach 'em When They're Young

August 16, 2023
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Nazzy Pakpour has a way with kids. At a recent Bohart Museum of Entomology open house, she read passages from her newly published children's book, Please Don't Bite Me: Insects that Buzz, Bite and Sting, and then encouraged questions.
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UC Davis distinguished professor Diane Ullman (right) and assistant professor and urban landscape entomologist Emily Meineke taught the class.

A Mural Like No Other

August 9, 2023
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
The Secret Life of Vineyards depicts what you may never see: the life that inhabits a vineyard. A UC Davis team created the insect-themed ceramic-mosaic mural that was recently installed at the Matthiasson Winery, 3175 Dry Creek Road, Napa.
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Sharon Lawler, professor emerita, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology

Professor Emerita Sharon Lawler Weighs in on Mosquito Questions

August 9, 2023
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Professor emerita Sharon Lawler of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology is quoted in a Pest Gnome study titled "2023's Most Vulnerable Counties for Mosquito-Borne Diseases," published Aug. 9. The article, noting that World Mosquito Day is Aug.
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