Vultures get a bad rap. Generally thought of as ugly scavengers, vultures are easy to dismiss. Even naturalist Charles Darwin described them as ‘disgusting’. But when you look more closely, you’ll realize the world is better off with vultures. Although these enormous birds display some odd behaviors, they play a crucial role in the environments […]
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With the first real rains of the season, weeds are sprouting all over. Since Nature doesn’t like bare soil, weeds will fill in any available space including pots, raised beds, or anywhere space and soil are available. Prevent weeds by planning ahead for new planting areas and using a combination of competitive plants, mulches, and
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With the cooler weather, gardening tasks may be slowing down some, but there are still plenty of things to do in the garden and landscape in the fall and winter months. Here are a few things to think about as you head into the next planting season. Follow the list to reduce future pest problems
Just as you bite into that big, juicy apple, fresh off your tree, you catch sight of something that shouldn’t be there; that worm in the apple is no cute cartoon. Most likely it’s the larvae of the codling moth, a serious pest of apples that also attacks pears and walnuts. This insect pest can
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Sometimes vertebrate animals can become pests in our homes, gardens, schools, parks, and landscapes and management efforts are needed. But figuring out what has burrowed under the porch, eaten the fruit on your trees, or caused holes in the lawn can be difficult if you don’t see the culprit in action. If you think you
What’s eating your fruit? Read More »
With abundant rains come bountiful weeds. Some of the most troublesome in early spring are common groundsel, oxalis, mallows, and nutsedges. Common groundsel produces many seeds and can rapidly infest landscape beds. It is best controlled before it flowers. Remove young plants with a hoe, and top soil with mulch. Mallows are annual weeds that
It may seem early in the season for mosquitos, but one of the wettest years in history has left standing water across the area, creating perfect conditions for these pesky insects to develop. Stagnant water creates havens for disease-spreading mosquitoes, and mosquito experts are concerned this could be a long and intense mosquito season. These
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There is a new worm in town – the invasive jumping worm. Also known as Alabama jumpers, Jersey wrigglers, wood eel, crazy worms, snake worms, Asian jumping worm, and crazy snake worms, they have been found in Napa and Sonoma Counties (not yet in Marin). They are smooth, glossy gray or brown and 1.5 to
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Integrated pest management, or IPM, is a process you can use to solve pest problems while minimizing risks to people and the environment. The definition of IPM is: IPM is an ecosystem-based strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests or their damage through a combination of techniques such as biological control, habitat manipulation, modification
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In the mood to add some plants to the garden? One highlight of the winter nursery is the availability of bare root plants. Bare root plants are not actively growing plants. They’re usually dug when they’re dormant and then refrigerated until it is time to ship to the nursery or you. This system works well
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