Pest Management & Plant Health

In Northern California, Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana L.) has been around for a long time and is typically found in disturbed areas and fallow sites such as: under power lines, wooded areas, fences, pond edges, roadsides, etc. (Figure 1).

If you were a sand field cricket, you would not like horsehair worms. "The horsehair worm (Paragordius varius) is a long-lived parasite that infects arthropods, including the sand field cricket, Gryllus firmus," says biologist Amy Worthington, assistant professor, Creighton University, Omaha, Neb.

It wouldn't make the news, even if it were a "Slow News Day." "Lady in Red Climbs Neon-Pink Petals in Search of Aphids." Lady beetles, aka ladybugs, are coming out of their winter hibernation now and they're hungry. Aphid-hungry. We spotted this lady beetle Feb.

Pest issues are much easier to deal with when you know what they are and have the right tools to address them. The UC Statewide IPM Program has several free, online tools to help you diagnose plant problems, determine if an animal pest is present, or get a monthly checklist of landscape tasks.

If you're curious about house flies and the latest research on antibiotic resistance, you won't want to miss this seminar sponsored by the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. Research molecular biologist Dana Nayduch of the Agricultural Research Service, U. S.

What do you know about nematodes and what would you like to learn? The Shahid Siddique laboratory was out in force on Saturday, Feb. 18 during the 12th annual UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day.

No one likes to find pests in the pantry or kitchen, especially when they are found inside your food! A variety of insect and animal pests can infest and contaminate flours, grains, dry beans, pastas, dried herbs, dried fruit, and even chocolate! Earlier this month, UC IPM's Urban Program hosted a w...

Research molecular biologist Dana Nayduch of the Agricultural Research Service, U. S.

It's not every day that an undergraduate thesis makes the cover story of a professional journal. But that's the case with UC Davis doctoral student Grace Horne.

If you love tomatoes, you hate any and all pests that attack them. That would include the larvae of Tuta absoluta, a South American tomato leafminer. In its adult stage, it's a moth in the family Gelechilidae. In its larval stage, it's a major agricultural pest.