Pest Management & Plant Health

The invasive pest spotlight focuses on emerging or potential invasive pests in California. In this issue we are covering the emerald ash borer.

What is that weird wormlike thing in your garden? A slug? An earthworm? It may be neitherit it might be a land planarian. Land planaria are also called terrestrial flatworms and hammerhead worms.

Just published in the Weed Technology journal... Authors: Travis M.Bean, Scott Stoddard, Lynn M. Sosnoskie, Adewale Osipitan, Pratap Devkota, Guy B. Kyser and Bradley D.

"The Bee Team" is "The A Team.

The jumping worm, Amynthas agrestis, is an invasive earthworm capable of harming native forests that has been recently reported in some areas of California.

In the spotlight: the newly discovered beech leaf disease caused by the nematode, Litylenchus crenatae mccannii.

Paulo Vieira, a plant pathologist, molecular biologist and nematologist with USDA's Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), Beltsville, MD.

Lately you may have seen some large, leggy insects bumbling around on your home, bouncing off walls and ceilings. What are these? While many people call them mosquito eaters or mosquito hawks, they are actually crane flies. And unfortunately, they do not eat mosquitoes.

In honor of Lyme Disease Awareness Month and in response to some misinformation about ticks on social media recently, we'd like to share some tick and Lyme disease facts. Ticks can spread several diseases to humans and pets, but Lyme disease is the most common.

You may be noticing white grubs in your compost piles, lawns, or garden beds. These white, c-shaped critters can be 1/4 inch long or 2 inches long, depending on the species.