Integrated Pest Management

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Spotted lanternfly adult. Photo by Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org
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Invasive Spotlight: Spotted Lanternfly

June 6, 2023
By Lauren Fordyce
The Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) is an invasive pest that poses a great threat to California's agriculture. It was first discovered in the U.S. in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has since taken the east coast by storm, causing damage to many plant species and proving to be difficult to control.
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A patch of highway iceplant, Carpobrotus edulis. Photo by Mitch Barrie, Flickr.com.
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Invasive Spotlight: Highway Iceplant

June 5, 2023
By Lauren Fordyce
You've probably seen this invasive plant growing along highways or the coast in California. Highway iceplant, Carpobrotus edulis, was intentionally introduced to prevent soil erosion along highways and coasts but it has since invaded many different ecosystems and outcompetes native plant species.
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California Invasive Species Action Week logo.
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California Invasive Species Action Week 2023!

June 1, 2023
By Lauren Fordyce
The 10th annual California Invasive Species Action Week (CISAW) will kick off Saturday June 3rd and runs to Sunday June 11th. This week is designed to raise awareness and encourage public participation in the ongoing fight against invasive species.
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Shovel-headed garden worm, Bipalium kewense. Photo by Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State, Bugwood.org
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Weird Worms: Land Planaria

May 22, 2023
By Belinda Messenger-Sikes
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.
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A jumping worm on top of its coffee-ground like
castings. Photo by M. Bertone, NCSU.
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Look Out for the Jumping Worm!

May 18, 2023
By Belinda Messenger-Sikes
The jumping worm, Amynthas agrestis, is an invasive earthworm capable of harming native forests that has been recently reported in some areas of California.
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An adult crane fly.
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The “Mosquito Eater” Myth

May 11, 2023
By Lauren Fordyce
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.
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Life stages of the western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus). From left to right: adult female, adult male, nymph, and larva. Photo by CDPH.
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Ticks and Lyme Disease

May 4, 2023
By Lauren Fordyce
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.
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Common white grubs. The species left to right are: Japanese beetle, European chafer, and June beetle. Photo by David Cappaert, Bugwood.org
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What are white grubs?

May 2, 2023
By Lauren Fordyce
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.
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