Urban

Exotic and invasive pests threaten California's natural environments, agricultural production, structures, landscapes and gardens. Exotic pests are organisms introduced into an area beyond their natural range and become pests in the new environment.

Pesticides and fertilizers applied around homes, residential or commercial landscapes, school sites, and other areas can enter our creeks, rivers, and oceans, degrading water quality.

You've heard of terms such as green, organic, natural, ecofriendly, and less toxic to describe pest control products and services. But what do these terms really mean? To different people, they can mean different things, creating obvious confusion.

Follow these tips for the month of July to prevent pests in the garden and landscape. To see more tips specific to your region, visit the Seasonal Landscape IPM Checklist on the UC IPM website. Clean up fallen fruit or nuts to avoid attracting or harboring pests.

Many gardeners have fountains, ponds, and other water features in their landscapes. Water gardens are beautiful and calming, but, if not managed properly, can add an unpleasant element to the landscapemosquitoes.

What you do with firewood this upcoming 4th of July (and year-round!) can impact more than just the s'mores on your campfire. If you move firewood around the state, you could spread deadly plant diseases and invasive insects. Don't take firewood with you if you travel or camp this holiday weekend.

Nutsedges are aggressive and persistent weeds that commonly infest lawns, vegetable and flower gardens, and landscapes. These perennial sedges are a problem in lawns because they grow faster than turfgrasses and result in non-uniform turf.

As vacation season begins, people will be traveling much more in the coming months. Whether you'll be staying at a hotel, hostel, motel, rental home, or summer camp, you should always be on the lookout for bed bugs.

Rats can contaminate our food, damage structures, and spread diseases. To help residents and urban pest professionals safely and effectively manage rats, UC IPM has updated the Pest Notes: Rats publication.

Are grasshoppers taking over your garden? Within the last week, we've received several reports of large populations of these pests covering people's plants, especially in Northern California. Grasshoppers are a sporadic garden pest.