Pest Management & Plant Health

In the lottery of troublesome termite infestations, Roger, a Rancho Santa Fe homeowner, hit the jackpot (a pseudonym is used to protect his privacy).

The Formosan subterranean termite (FST), Coptotermes formosanus, is a very destructive pest first reported in California in 1992 in La Mesa, San Diego County. FST has since been found in Canyon Lake, Riverside County, Rancho Santa Fe (San Diego County) and Highland Park (Los Angeles County).

Please, please, forget to eat our forget-me-nots! But it's not going to happen. So here we are in our Vacaville pollinator garden, looking at the Chinese forget-me-nots. We see honey bees, leafcutter bees, syrphid flies, lady beetles, cabbage white butterflies, and other critters foraging.

Multi-unit housing (MUH), such as apartment complexes and single-room occupancy (SRO) buildings, can harbor significant infestations of cockroaches, bed bugs, rodents, and other pests.

Three graduating seniors--two in Entomology and one in Animal Biology--were among those receiving top honors last week at the 2023 UC Davis commencement ceremonies.

by Saira Bates A few years ago, I found a couple of plants growing at the base of the bird house in my garden. At first, I thought they were weeds. I was tempted to pull them out, but I was also curious to see if there would be any flowers on this rapidly growing plant. I decided to let them grow.

Trace detection of such organophosphates as triazophos, parathion, and chlorpyrifos is extremely important for various reasons, including food safety, environmental monitoring, and national health, a team of scientists, including UC Davis distinguished professor Bruce Hammock pointed out last week,...

Invasive Spotlight: Goldspotted Oak Borer (GSOB) Adult goldspotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus, on an oak leaf. Photo by Mike Lewis, Center for Invasive Species Research, Bugwood.org There are several flatheaded boring beetles in California, however only a few are of particular concern.

Song Ci (1186-1249) of China, considered the world's first forensic entomologist, knew how to solve a crime when a villager in a rice field was found dead, slashed with a sickle. He told the villagers to line up in town square with their sickles. When they did, he immediately fingered the killer.

Although all cockroaches in California are considered pests, the Turkestan cockroach is of particular concern.