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Making ecosystem-based integrated pest management THE way Californians manage pests 2011 HIGHLIGHTS University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program ANNUAL REPORT

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Page 1: MaakMingecogs - UC Agriculture & Natural Resourcesipm.ucanr.edu/IPMPROJECT/2011/annual_report2011.pdf · Goodell leads . Applied IPM Ecologists. Pete Goodell, IPM advisor . and UC

Making

ecosystem-based

integrated

pest management

THE way

Californians

manage pests

2011 HIGHLIGHTSUniversity of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program

ANNUAL REPORT

Page 2: MaakMingecogs - UC Agriculture & Natural Resourcesipm.ucanr.edu/IPMPROJECT/2011/annual_report2011.pdf · Goodell leads . Applied IPM Ecologists. Pete Goodell, IPM advisor . and UC

UC Statewide IPM ProgramOne Shields Avenue

Davis, CA 95616-8621(530) 752-8350

Leadership TeamKassim Al-Khatib, Director

Mary Louise Flint, Associate Director for Urban and Community IPM

Cheryl Gould,Administrative Coordinator

Rick Melnicoe, Assistant to the Director

Peter Goodell,Associate Director for Agricultural IPM

James Stapleton,Coordinator for Natural Resources IPM

Joyce Strand,Associate Director for Communications

Cheryl Wilen,IPM Advisor Coordinator

IPM AdvisorsRoger Baldwin, Central Valley

Walter Bentley, Central Valley

Peter Goodell, Central Valley

James Stapleton, Central Valley

Lucia Varela, North Coast

Cheryl Wilen, South Coast

Affiliated CE AdvisorsDavid Haviland, Kern County

John Roncoroni, Napa County

Steve Swain, Marin County

IPM StaffJodi Azulai, Program Representative

Lisa Blecker, Pesticide SafetyEducation Program Coordinator

Steve Dreistadt, Principal Editor

Buz Dreyer, Programming and Technology Supervisor

Michelle Fayard, Editor

Chris Laning,Web/Print Production Supervisor

Tunyalee Martin,Content Development Supervisor

Marty Martino, Meteorology Assistant and Computer Resources Specialist

Mary Jane O’Neill,Administrative Assistant

Kim Osienski, Program Representative

Cheryl Reynolds,Interactive Learning Developer

Fernanda Rosa,Web Production Specialist

Leon Salcedo, Programmer

Shannah Whithaus,Pesticide Writer/Editor

Karey Windbiel-Rojas,Urban IPM Educator

From the directorWelcome to UC IPM’s report for 2011. UC IPM continued its long tradition of developing and promoting the use of integrated, ecologically sound pest man-agement programs to solve pest problems while protecting Californians’ health and the state’s economy and environment.

I hope you enjoy reading about highlights of our recent accomplishments and activities. They’re wide ranging: We expanded our reach to better serve childcare providers and Spanish-speaking residents as well as supported growers in their fight against a new pest and in negotiating an export market. We developed new IPM programs for crops, prepared print and online publications for agricultural and urban audiences, and created a variety of online training modules. We also updated the UC IPM Web site, giving it a new face.

This has been an exciting year where the program experienced significant expansion. We hired Lisa Blecker from the University of Nevada to lead a new pesticide safety education program for California, and we are in the process of hiring a new IPM advisor to work on urban pest management issues in the San Francisco Bay Area; soon we’ll be recruiting an IPM/entomology advisor for the Central Coast. We are also affiliating more UC Cooperative Extension farm advisors with our program to add to our capacity and expand our reach.

We continued to build strong partnerships with California-based organiza-tions, and the Department of Pesticide Regulation recognized UC IPM and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service with an IPM innovators award for collaborative work in developing year-round IPM programs.

A new UC IPM program advisory committee representing industry, agency, and academic stakeholders has already provided us with direction we’re using to set priorities, strengthen our ability to meet our goals, create closer ties with external constituencies, and identify new resources. The advisory committee noted that California should be proud of the quality and services that UC IPM provides.

Finally, I want to thank Carolyn Pickel for her service to the UC IPM program. Carolyn has served our program in several capacities including associate direc-tor for agricultural IPM and IPM advisor. We will miss her leadership, input, and energy. I also want to acknowledge the many contributions and hard work of our extraordinary faculty and staff who deserve the credit for the program’s exceptional achievements in 2011.

Thank you for your interest and the support that you already provide for our unique program.

—Kassim Al-Khatib, Director

History-making advisor retires—by Pam Kan–Rice, assistant director, News and Information Outreach

Carolyn Pickel, UC Cooperative Extension’s first female farm advisor, retired in June after 38 years.

Pickel joined UC IPM as its first area IPM advisor. She led IPM extension on the Central Coast, work-ing on a variety of crops including strawberries, Brussels sprouts, and apples. In 1990, she moved

north to work with Sacramento Valley growers to develop IPM practices for growing walnuts, almonds, prunes, and peaches.

➥ Continued online at http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/highlights

Page 3: MaakMingecogs - UC Agriculture & Natural Resourcesipm.ucanr.edu/IPMPROJECT/2011/annual_report2011.pdf · Goodell leads . Applied IPM Ecologists. Pete Goodell, IPM advisor . and UC

—by Jeannette Warnert, public information representative, UC ANR

UC IPM was among organizations honored by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation as 2010 IPM Innovators. The UC IPM award is shared with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

UC IPM and NRCS defined and clarified effective IPM practices for a wide range of commodities and provided stakeholders with this information and incentives to increase its adoption and implementation. Examples of the partnership’s efforts include development of year-round IPM programs for 19 different crops. These programs help to reduce pesticides in water runoff and volatile organic compound pesticide emissions that contribute to smog.

➥ Continued online at http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/highlights

UC IPM, NRCS named innovators

Walter Bentley, who has served for more than 30 years as a UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor and IPM advisor, was awarded ANR’s 2011 Distinguished Service Award in Extension. The award recognizes a career dedicated to the development and delivery of practical, relevant, and sensible pest management programs for Californians.

In the award nomination, Pete Goodell, IPM advisor and UC IPM associate director for agricultural IPM, noted “(Walt) has had only two driving forces in his career—creating practical

yet high-quality entomological knowledge based on science and directing that knowledge to make a difference in the lives of the people he serves.”

Bentley receives service award

The Sonoma County Winegrape Commission presented its 2011 Viticulture Award of Excellence to UC IPM Advisor Lucia Varela in June. The award rec-ognizes people who have made significant contributions to the commission, Sonoma County viticulture, and the greater wine community.

Varela has been responsible for develop-ing IPM programs for pears, apples, and winegrapes in North Coast counties for almost 20 years. Among her many contributions, Varela has regularly taught pest and predator identification and IPM practices in the Sonoma County Grape Growers Association/Winegrape Com-mission Employee Development Program and has shared her research results at numerous grower events in the county.

Winegrape Commission presents Varela with viticulture award

Nick Frey, Sonoma County Winegrape Commission president (left), presents UC IPM Advisor Lucia Varela with the 2011 Viticulture Award of Excellence. Photo courtesy of Sonoma County Winegrape Commission.

During its 2011 annual meeting in Portland, Ore., the Weed Science Society of America awarded its highest recognition—the Fellow award—to Kassim Al–Khatib, UC IPM director and a professor of weed science at UC Davis.

Al–Khatib, whose specialty is weed physiology and herbicide resistance, has led significant grant pro-grams, holds two patents, and has authored or co-au-thored nearly 350 refereed journal articles, abstracts and proceedings, extension and research publications, and book chapters.

UC IPM director earns top weed science honor

Goodell leads Applied IPM Ecologists

Pete Goodell, IPM advisor and UC IPM associate director for agricultural IPM, has been serving as president of the Associa-tion of Applied IPM Ecolo-gists since January 2011. The organization provides quality information about ecology-based pest man-agement while encour-aging environmentally compatible approaches and an awareness of IPM.

As president, Goodell is working on an initiative to develop a national IPM credential to certify profes-sional IPM practitioners.

Melnicoe receives Citation of Excellence

UC Davis has awarded Rick Melnicoe, assistant to the UC IPM Direc-tor and Director of the Western IPM Center, a 2011 Citation of Excel-lence for supervision. The nomination noted that as a model of a can-do attitude and approach, Melnicoe encourages others to aim high and stretch. He also has become a leader in the program at a national level.

UC IPM and USDA Natural

Resources Conservation

Service leaders accept a joint

IPM Innovators award. Photo by

J. Fagan.

Page 4: MaakMingecogs - UC Agriculture & Natural Resourcesipm.ucanr.edu/IPMPROJECT/2011/annual_report2011.pdf · Goodell leads . Applied IPM Ecologists. Pete Goodell, IPM advisor . and UC

Lisa Blecker joined UC IPM in August to lead a new program in pesticide safety education. During its first year, the program will develop and deliver train-the-trainer programs throughout the state, in both English and Spanish, for those who instruct field workers and unlicensed pesticide handlers.

Blecker will also serve as California’s designated Pesticide Safety Education Coordina-tor for the U.S. EPA–USDA pesticide safety program and continue UC IPM’s work with California Department of Pesticide Regulation in developing study guides and exams to certify pesticide applicators.

The program will expand depending on the needs of pesticide workers in the state, said Blecker, who has been meeting with key people in each county to determine the needs in each county or region. “My goal is to support pesticide applicators as well as pesticide safety and IPM educators in any way that I can. I’ll strive to provide them with accurate, unbiased information on how to do their jobs effectively while keeping themselves and bystanders safe from pesticide exposure.”

Using pesticides appropriately is a fundamental part of an IPM approach. “By giving pesticide applicators the tools they need to apply pesticides in a safe and effective manner, we are promoting the goals of IPM,” she said.

The self-supporting program will build on the educational programs and successes of the earlier Pesticide Safety Education Program, led by Pat O’Connor–Marer, which closed in 2005.

➥ Continued online at http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/highlights

New pesticide safety education program now available in California

What is IPM? Integrated Pest Management 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, and modification of cul-tural practices. Pesticides are used only after monitoring indicates they are needed, and pest control materials are selected and applied in a manner that minimizes risks to humans, nontarget organisms, and the environment.

Since baiting and trapping are important for effective pocket gopher control programs, UC IPM Advisor Roger Baldwin conducted research to discover the impact of experience and thorough training on the success rate of pest managers.

In the study, after just three days on the job, novice trappers were able to capture 92% of the number of pocket gophers caught by an expert trapper, while individuals who received a thorough training program on how to apply poison baits were consistently more successful in reducing gopher popula-tions than those who received less extensive training.

There is no substitute for experience when trapping just about any animal. However, this study showed that pocket gophers can be effectively trapped with relatively little experience, thereby increasing the utility of this management option for controlling pocket gophers. Likewise, the gains from a thorough training program for the application of gopher baits are important, since typi-cal training might be only 15 minutes long and cover only the basics of how to identify gopher mounds, how to locate tunnel systems, how to dispense bait via the bait application probe, and how often to apply bait per burrow system.

While baiting can provide a relatively quick method for treating a large number of gopher burrow systems, even with proper training, baiting alone may still not attain the level of control needed to effectively manage gopher populations. Based on the high success rate of well-trained novice trappers and the absence of secondary toxicity with trap-ping, Baldwin recommends that trapping be considered as part of an IPM program for controlling gophers.

➥ Continued online at http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/highlights

Training and experience: Roles in pocket gopher control studied

IN BRIEF

n Pocket gopher trappers can quickly gain expertise after only a few days of trapping experience.

n Training programs can improve skills in trapping and using baits.

n An IPM program that uses trapping with other methods is recommended.

Setting a Macabee gopher trap. Photo by W. P. Gorenzel.

UC IPM in Action

IN BRIEF

n Lisa Blecker to coordinate pesticide safety training program.

n Training safety trainers and applicators is goal.

Page 5: MaakMingecogs - UC Agriculture & Natural Resourcesipm.ucanr.edu/IPMPROJECT/2011/annual_report2011.pdf · Goodell leads . Applied IPM Ecologists. Pete Goodell, IPM advisor . and UC

UC researchers recently proved to Australian regulators that an IPM approach to managing peach twig borer in stone fruit crops could successfully eliminate the pest from California fresh fruit shipments, enabling Australians to drop the requirement that such fruits be fumigated.

When the potentially devastating Eu-ropean grapevine moth (EGVM) was detected in Napa County vineyards in 2009, it triggered not only regulatory action but also a quick research and outreach response by UC scientists.

And the response continues. In the past year, UC IPM advisors Lucia Varela and Walter Bentley con-

tributed to the development of an array of new products—including a poster, brochures, and online presentations—to help vineyard workers and professionals recognize insects that might be EGVM and take appropriate steps.

The products were critical pieces in approaching EGVM, ac-cording to Varela. “For early detection it is important to know

how to identify this insect and where to look in the grapevines at different times during the season,” she added.

A Be Alert! poster, with labels in both Spanish and English, has been distrib-uted throughout grape-growing regions in areas where fieldworkers might

encounter the pest, to help them better recognize EGVM and its damage. A brochure containing high-quality photos for identifying each EGVM stage

and a guide for monitoring for EGVM throughout the year also are available. A separate brochure, Guide to Moths and Worms in Grapevine Clusters, distin-

guishes life stages of wormlike pests associated with grapevine clusters that may be confused with EGVM.

In an online, narrated presentation, Varela discusses findings from 2010, Cali-fornia’s first field season with EGVM. The presentation also goes into detail about

regulatory and control actions taken, what researchers learned about the pest, and insecticides available for control. A briefer presentation narrated in Spanish focuses on

what signs to look for when out in the vineyard.

➥ Continued online at http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/highlights

Outreach targets European Grapevine Moth

Australian market opens—temporarily—for nonfumigated IPM-managed fruit

IN BRIEF

n IPM program for peach twig borer produces clean fruit shipments to Australia.

n A new pest, spotted wing drosophila, requires fumigation for shipping.

UC Davis professor and extension specialist Frank Zalom monitors for peach twig borer. Photo by J. K. Clark.

Follow this guide to distinguish larvae or pupae found in grapevine clusters or to distinguish one or more of the life stages that may be confused with European grapevine moth, a lepidopteran pest that can significantly affect vineyard pest management practices.

male mothsoverwinter parasitoids

eUropean liGht Brown Grapevine moth apple moth

oranGe omnivoroUs tortrix leafroller

Wa

lt B

Ent

lEy

Trap males to determine beginning and peak flight for each generation.

In coastal regions set traps in December for:

In warm coastal inland valleys and the Central Valley set traps before budbreak for:

omnivorous leafroller Snout-like mouthpart protruding forward. two-tone forewings: dark, rusty brown at the base and tan at the tip; V-shaped, dark marking separating dark and light areas.

Set traps before budbreak for:

european grapevine mothForewings tan-cream with brown and black markings and bluish-gray bands.

In the Central Valley set traps in April for:

If pupa is inside a densely woven, silken cocoon under the bark on cordons or trunk, and:

If various larval stages are on ground vegetation, or else on the vine in mummified clusters or under the bark at the base of spurs, the pest is likely to be:

orange tortrix

light brown apple moth

omnivorous leafroller

If fully grown larva is inside a fishnet-like, loosely woven cocoon under the bark on cordons and trunk, the pest is likely to be:

raisin moth

european grapevine moth pupa•   Cremaster (prolongation 

of last segment) broader than long.

•   Size: 0.2"–0.4"

leafroller pupa•   Cremaster longer than 

broad.•   Size: 0.4"–0.6"

Cocoons of parasitic wasps of leafroller larvae may be found in the leafroller nests:

adult ichneumonid wasp (left); brown cocoon (right) with leafroller larva carcass attached at the top left. The ichneumonid wasp parasitizes the leafroller larva as above except it forms a brown oval cocoon. It has been reared from orange tortrix and light brown apple moth.

exochus sp. adult (top) that emerged from the leafroller pupal case (bottom). The ichneumonid wasp Exochus sp. is a larval parasitoid; the adult emerges after the leafroller has pupated. It has been reared from orange tortrix, omnivorous leafroller, and European grapevine moth.

For more information consult the Grape Pest Management Manual. For management options visit the Grape Pest Management Guidelines at http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/selectnewpest.grapes.html

Authors: Lucia G. Varela, Larry J. Bettiga, Rhonda J. Smith, Walt J. Bentley, and Monica L. Cooper, University of California Cooperative Extension. Jack K. Clark photos ©AgStock Images. All other photos ©Regents of the University of California/ Jack K. Clark, except as noted.

Partial funding by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

If the silken cocoon is less than 0.5" and the pupa inside less than 0.4" the pest is likely to be:

european grapevine moth

In the Central Valley, if the silken cocoon and pupa is longer than 0.5" the pest  is likely to be:

Grapeleaf skeletonizer

adult braconid wasp (left); white cocoon (bottom right) with leafroller larva carcass attached on the right.

The female braconid wasp lays an egg inside the leafroller larva; the wasp larva consumes its host from inside and exits the dead leafroller larva. The wasp larva forms a white silken cocoon inside the dead leafroller’s nest next to the leafroller larva carcass. The adult wasp emerges from the white cocoon. There are more than one species of braconid wasps attacking different species of leafrollers.

raisin moth Forewings pale gray with faint brown stripes. note: Use Indianmeal moth or raisin moth lures; both species will be trapped. Indianmeal moth will not infest fresh grapes.

indianmeal moth two-tone forewing: light gray at the base and rusty brown with dark marking at the tips.

pUpa identification

Guide toMoths and Worms in Grapevine Clusters in California

orange tortrix

Male forewings orange-brown with dark, V-shaped marking on the center and crescent-shaped markings on the margins.

light brown apple moth

Male forewing coloration and pattern highly variable; expanded outer edge folded over as a flap (costal fold). 

9 mm

jaCk k. C

lark

jaCk k. C

lark

jaCk k. C

lark

jaCk k. C

lark

jaCk k. C

lark

jaCk k. C

lark

10 mm costal fold

9 mm

10 mm

8 mm

7 mm

Follow this guide to distinguish larvae or pupae

found in grapevine clusters or to distinguish one

or more of the life stages that may be confused

with European grapevine moth, a lepidopteran

pest that can significantly affect vineyard pest

management practices.

male moths

overwinter

parasitoids

eUropean

liGht Brown

Grapevine moth

apple moth

oranGe

omnivoroUs

tortrix

leafroller

Wa

lt B

Entl

Ey

Trap males to determine beginning and peak flight for each generation.

In coastal regions set traps in December for:

In warm coastal inland valleys and the

Central Valley set traps before budbreak for: omnivorous leafroller

Snout-like mouthpart

protruding forward. two-tone

forewings: dark, rusty brown

at the base and tan at the

tip; V-shaped, dark marking

separating dark and light areas.

Set traps before budbreak for:

european grapevine moth

Forewings tan-cream with brown

and black markings and bluish-gray

bands.

In the Central Valley set traps in April for:

If pupa is inside a densely woven, silken cocoon

under the bark on cordons or trunk, and:

If various larval stages are on ground vegetation, or else on

the vine in mummified clusters or under the bark at the base

of spurs, the pest is likely to be:

orange tortrixlight brown apple moth

omnivorous leafroller

If fully grown larva is inside a fishnet-like, loosely woven cocoon

under the bark on cordons and trunk, the pest is likely to be:

raisin moth

european grapevine moth

pupa•   Cremaster (prolongation 

of last segment) broader

than long.•   Size: 0.2"–0.4" leafroller pupa•   Cremaster longer than 

broad.•   Size: 0.4"–0.6"

Cocoons of parasitic wasps of leafroller larvae

may be found in the leafroller nests:

adult ichneumonid wasp

(left); brown cocoon (right) 

with leafroller larva carcass

attached at the top left. The

ichneumonid wasp parasitizes 

the leafroller larva as above

except it forms a brown oval

cocoon. It has been reared from

orange tortrix and light brown

apple moth.exochus sp. adult (top) that 

emerged from the leafroller

pupal case (bottom). The 

ichneumonid wasp Exochus sp.

is a larval parasitoid; the adult

emerges after the leafroller has

pupated. It has been reared

from orange tortrix, omnivorous

leafroller, and European

grapevine moth. For more information consult the Grape Pest Management Manual.

For management options visit the Grape Pest Management Guidelines

at http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/selectnewpest.grapes.html

Authors: Lucia G. Varela, Larry J. Bettiga, Rhonda J. Smith,

Walt J. Bentley, and Monica L. Cooper, University of California

Cooperative Extension. Jack K. Clark photos ©AgStock Images.

All other photos ©Regents of the University of California/

Jack K. Clark, except as noted.

Partial funding by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

If the silken cocoon is less

than 0.5" and the pupa inside 

less than 0.4" the pest is likely 

to be:european grapevine moth

In the Central Valley, if the 

silken cocoon and pupa is

longer than 0.5" the pest 

is likely to be: Grapeleaf skeletonizer

adult braconid wasp (left); 

white cocoon (bottom right) 

with leafroller larva carcass

attached on the right. The female braconid wasp lays

an egg inside the leafroller larva;

the wasp larva consumes its

host from inside and exits the

dead leafroller larva. The wasp

larva forms a white silken cocoon

inside the dead leafroller’s

nest next to the leafroller larva

carcass. The adult wasp emerges

from the white cocoon. There

are more than one species

of braconid wasps attacking

different species of leafrollers.

raisin moth

Forewings pale gray with faint

brown stripes. note: Use Indianmeal moth or

raisin moth lures; both species

will be trapped. Indianmeal

moth will not infest fresh

grapes.indianmeal moth

two-tone forewing: light gray at

the base and rusty brown with

dark marking at the tips.

pUpa identification

Guide toMoths and Worms in

Grapevine Clusters

in California

orange tortrix

Male forewings orange-brown

with dark, V-shaped marking on

the center and crescent-shaped

markings on the margins.

light brown apple moth

Male forewing coloration

and pattern highly variable;

expanded outer edge folded

over as a flap (costal fold). 

9 mm

jaCk k. C

lark

jaCk k. C

lark

jaCk k. C

lark

jaCk k. C

lark

jaCk k. C

lark

jaCk k. C

lark

10 mm

costal fold

9 mm

10 mm

8 mm

7 mm

Be Alert! • ¡Atencion! European Grapevine Moth La Palomilla Europea Del Racimo lobesia botrana

Egg DEvElopmEnt • Desarrollo Del huevo

If you fInD thIs pest, contact the university of California Cooperative extension or the agricultural Commissioner’s office in your county.

sI enCuentra esta plaga comuníquese con la universidad de California extensión Cooperativa o con la oficina del Comisionado de agricultura en su condado.

2nd gEnERAtIon: bEtwEEn fRuIt sEt AnD post-vERAIson • 2da generaCIÓn: DesDe el CuaJaDo De la fruta hasta Que toMa Color

White (fresh laid)Blanco (recién depositado)

Yellow (embryo developing)Amarillo (embrión en desarrollo)

Empty shell (hatched)Cáscara del huevo después que emergió la larva

Three generations a year; a possible 4th in southern California tres generaciones al año; con una posible 4a en el sur de California

Authors: Larry J. Bettiga, Rhonda J. Smith, Lucia G. Varela, Monica L. Cooper, and Walt J. Bentley, University of California Cooperative Extension. Larry Strand photos ©Regents of the University of California. All other photos ©AgStock Images/Jack K. Clark except as noted.

For more information, see www.ipm.ucdavis.edu.

1st gEnERAtIon: fRom buDbREAk to fRuIt sEt • 1ra generaCIÓn: DesDe la BrotaCIÓn hasta el CuaJaDo De la fruta

Egg Huevo

BR

UN

O B

AG

NO

LI

Black cap (ready to hatch) Cabeza negra (a punto de emerger)

MO

NIC

A C

OO

pE

R

Egg Huevo

Sap ball Bola de sabia

AN

dR

EA

LU

CC

hI

EggHuevo

Egg layingDepositando huevo

PupaPupa

LarvaLarva

AdultAdulto

MatingApareamiento

Life cycleCíclo biológico

MONICA COOpER

Rh

ON

dA

SM

Ith

LA

RR

y S

tR

AN

d

3rd gEnERAtIon: bEtwEEn post-vERAIson AnD post-HARvEst • 3ra generaCIÓn: DesDe Que la fruta toMa Color hasta post-CoseCha

Egg Huevo

LA

RR

y S

tR

AN

d

LA

RR

y S

tR

AN

d

IN BRIEF

n New products support grape pest outreach.

n Moth numbers decreased in 2011.

In the 2009 and 2010 growing seasons, Walter J. Bentley, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor and IPM advisor, and re-search assistant Andrew Molinar, demonstrated that growers could keep peach twig borers out of harvested fruit when they used a season-long IPM program for managing this pest.

But the California arrival of a new pest, spotted wing dro-sophila, has spoiled the good news.

“Exotic pests that can move around the world are a big problem,” Bentley said. “Growers begin applying great IPM programs that solve our pest problems really well, then a new pest comes in and disrupts the whole system.

“Unfortunately, we still have to fumigate California’s fresh stone fruit shipments if we want Australia to accept them. They understandably don’t want to risk import and estab-lishment of spotted wing drosophila.”

➥ Continued online at http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/highlights

Page 6: MaakMingecogs - UC Agriculture & Natural Resourcesipm.ucanr.edu/IPMPROJECT/2011/annual_report2011.pdf · Goodell leads . Applied IPM Ecologists. Pete Goodell, IPM advisor . and UC

Forty students are better prepared to practice IPM after taking In-troduction to Integrated Pest Management PLS105, a new course at UC Davis. Mary Louise Flint, UC IPM associate director for urban and community IPM and an extension entomologist at UC Davis, and Kassim Al-Khatib, UC IPM director and a professor of weed science at UC Davis, developed and led the course in the fall quarters of 2010 and 2011.

The course aims to teach practical IPM and introduces the ecolog-ical principles of IPM, the biology of different classes of pests such as insects, weeds, plant pathogens, and vertebrates, and the kinds of losses they cause. Also covered are monitoring, factors related to decision making, and the range of IPM techniques—including biological, cultural, and chemical controls. The class uses as its text the UC IPM book and pest control advisor study guide IPM in Practice: Principles and Methods of Integrated Pest Management.

In its strategic plan, UC IPM noted the importance of educating future pest management professionals about ecologically based IPM. “Fewer and fewer IPM practitioners are being trained by the UC and CSU systems, but it’s so important that students are exposed to what it means to apply IPM in the field,” Flint said. “This class has been especially effective, because we have been able to bring in several of the IPM advisors and other IPM staff to demonstrate IPM techniques in the laboratory sessions.”

➥ Continued online at http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/highlights

New IPM course prepares practitioners

IN BRIEF

n UC Davis course teaches practical IPM.

n Course also supports pipeline of future IPM professionals.

Students in a UC Davis IPM course identify plant disease symptoms. Photo by M. L. Flint.

Since 2008, the Bay-Friendly Garden Walk Program has been conducting free, hands-on demonstrations in a resident’s own garden to show how they can use sustainable landscaping practices while reaping benefits.

The program starts by training Marin County Master Gardeners in water conservation, irrigation, and landscape sustainability. Master Gardener “walkers,” who have visited more than 550 home gardens since the program began, then share written suggestions at the end of the walk to give clients tangible materials they can immediately use. The result is less water use and healthier landscapes.

The benefits of growing plants suited to the local climate and of using good watering practices reach beyond the program’s immediate goal of water con-servation. Overwatering often leads to plant diseases and otherwise unhealthy plants, while poor watering practices are a common source of urban runoff that can carry pesticides and fertilizers down storm drains and into waterways.

Steven Swain, a UC Cooperative Extension advisor affiliated with UC IPM and an originator of the pro-gram commented, “We’ve known for years that most of the pesticides that pollute California’s waters come from residential pesticide applications, not agriculture. Recently UC’s Darren Haver and Loren Oki showed that the biggest single factor in whether residentially applied pesticides end up in the San Francisco Bay was how people managed their landscape water. Simply put, excess irrigation water leads to pesticide runoff.”

➥ Continued online at http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/highlights

Bay-Friendly walks help home gardeners apply sustainable practices

IN BRIEF

n Program aims to reduce water use in Marin County and pesticide runoff into public waters.

n UC Master Gardeners visit Marin County home gardens to assess plants and cultural practices.

A master gardener inspects a resident’s garden. Photo courtesy of Marin County Master Gardeners.

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The Orange County Parks department is tapping into UC expertise to improve its insect, weed, and water management. The department has contracted with a team of UC academics—including UC IPM Advi-sor Cheryl Wilen, Cooperative Extension advisors John Kabashima, Darren Haver, and Carl Bell, and other researchers—for a wide range of pest and water management services that include field visits to county facilities, employee training and continuing education, assessments of current programs, research, and sound advice.

Wilen is facilitating the development of guidelines for applicators to use before they apply herbicides, to be compatible with an IPM program. An important feature of the guidelines is a protocol for determining whether any sensitive or endangered species may be

in the area, plus information to help applicators make good decisions about actions that may impact those species, including the use and timing of pesticides. The guidelines are being presented in an easy-to-use booklet that includes color photos of sensitive species.

In another project, Wilen and Kabashima trained county staff preparing to take the California qualified pes-ticide applicator exam. A qualified applicator license or certificate is required by anyone applying pesticides on county property. While the department contracts with private companies for most pesticide applications, they recognize that park employees should be trained about the appropriate use and safety of pesticides and be a source of information for the public when applications are done.

The overall contract touches on many other aspects of pest management, including review of landscape maintenance contracts and other ongoing management programs, pesticide use reporting, bee and yellow-jacket control in picnic areas, good pruning of citrus trees, and management of redgum lerp psyllids and the recently introduced Bagrada bugs in parks. The contract is in its second year and is renewable for three more.

UC assists Orange County Parks with pest management services

IN BRIEF

n Orange County Parks Department contracts with UC to advise on sound IPM practices.

n UC trains county staff on safe and effective pesticide use.

Irrigation systems are checked at a park in Orange County. Managing water use and patterns in concert with implementing IPM will reduce pesticide and fertilizer runoff into waterways. Photo by Rene Orta, UC ANR.

A new toolkit designed to help child-care providers imple-ment IPM practices in their facilities is now available.

In 2007, California Law AB 2865 extended the Healthy Schools Act to child-care centers, requiring them to notify parents of pesticide use, keep records, post treated areas, and designate an IPM coordinator in each facility. Surveys of child-care facilities revealed most providers were unfa-miliar with IPM or how to implement an IPM program in their facility.

To address this educational need, UC IPM teamed up with UC Berkeley’s Center for Children’s Environmental Health in a Pest Management Alliance led by the UC San Francisco School of Nursing’s California Childcare Health Program to develop and deliver an IPM curriculum and toolkit for child-care providers.

The resulting toolkit, which is available in both English and Spanish, includes a colorfully illustrated IPM curriculum booklet, an IPM checklist, pest-specific information sheets, educational posters, and a slide presentation.

➥ Continued online at http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/highlights

Helping child-care centers implement IPM IN BRIEF

n Child-care providers rarely know about IPM.

n Curriculum and toolkit help providers learn about IPM and implement it.

n Pilot training showed 80% reduction in pests and conditions leading to pests.

Photo by K. Windbiel-Rojas.

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Based on feedback from a 2010 survey of nearly 100 retail stores in Northern California, UC IPM prepared several tools to help educate retail employees and customers on pest management and less toxic pesticides including a new Web site, a newsletter, and a train-the-trainer workshop.

UC IPM unveiled its Nursery and Garden Center Portal on the Web, a one-stop shop for retailers looking for pest management information and other UC IPM resources to help

answer customer questions. Portal links focus on the UC IPM pages that retailers frequent the most as well as information on upcoming workshops, online training, seasonal pest topics, and more.

UC IPM also distributed four issues of Retail Nursery and Garden Center IPM News, a new quarterly e-news-letter for employees, managers, and owners to help them provide customers with the latest pest information from UC. More than 450 people have subscribed since the first issue was released in April.

The first in a series of train-the-trainer IPM workshops planned for retailers was held in November in Oak-land, Calif. Sixty participants from 32 stores in the Bay Area attended, and topics included landscape pest identification, finding information using the UC IPM Web site, and pesticides and other products with an emphasis on less toxic pesticides. Each participant was given resources so they cold repeat some of the train-ing for other employees when they returned to their stores.

Retail stores are a key source of pest management information for many California consumers, and UC IPM will continue building its relationships with retail nursery and garden center staff and managers to help them pass UC science-based IPM information to their customers. View the UC IPM Nursery and Garden Center Portal at www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/retail. You can also sign up to subscribe to the newsletter on this site.

UC IPM Builds Program for Retail Nurseries and Garden Centers

IN BRIEF

n New Web portal focuses on IPM resources for retail employees.

n Training helps retailers give better pest management advice to consumers.

egister now for the UC IPM workshop Integrated Pest Management for Retail Garden Centers and Nurseries scheduled for Nov. 2 in Oakland!Want the latest information about home and garden pests and pesticides as well as resources to consult when customers’ pest questions arise? Send yourself and your staff to this hands-on workshop, co-sponsored by UC IPM and the California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers and designed especially for retail nursery and garden center employees, managers, owners, and affiliates.

Participants will gain new skills to better serve customers and keep them coming back. Participants also will learn about Integrated Pest Management (IPM), pest identification, and how they can direct customers to less toxic pest management tools, both chemical and nonchemical.

Training topics chosen by you!Many of your stores participated in our February 2010 phone survey. We designed this program to address the topics you said would most interest you. (See the June issue of this newsletter for details about this survey). Most of the day will be spent in small breakout groups that will facilitate learning.

Topics will include:n Landscape pest identification—Each participant will receive a set of UC IPM’s Landscape Pest Identification cards and learn how to use them to identify pests and find management solutions. More than 60 pest and damage samples will be on display, so participants can practice their skills.

n Online resources from the University of California—In a computer lab, each participant will learn how to navigate the UC IPM Web site and find resources to help identify pests, answers to customers’ garden pest questions, and products that can solve them. n Pesticides and other products for managing pests with an emphasis on less toxic products—Participants will examine labels and packaging, discuss health and environmental concerns, and learn about less toxic products.

n Lawn care issues—Learn about common Bay Area lawn problems. Send a few, train manyThe workshop will be a “train-the-trainer” seminar. Train-the-trainer means attendees will receive materials and ideas, so they can go back to their stores and train others on what they learned. Training others is a great way to reinforce what was learned and to make the information best fit the needs of your store.

Your $40 registration fee includes a set of the popular Landscape Pest Identification cards (a $20 value), lunch, a training certificate, and take home materials.Don’t miss this opportunity!Registration is open exclusively for retail affiliates until Oct. 20, so sign up online today. The workshop will be held at CSU East Bay, Oakland Conference Center. For directions, the full agenda, and additional details, see the training and registration Web site at http://ucanr.org/sites/IPMretail/.

Can’t make that date? We plan to hold a similar workshop in the Sacramento area or the northern San Joaquin Valley in early 2012. Watch for our December newsletter for more details.

RUC to Offer IPM Workshop

Vol. 1 l No. 3 l September 2011

Retail Nursery and Garden CenterIPM News

WHAT’S INSIDE ...Arboretum All-Stars | Page 2Pests in Your Nursery | Page 3New Rodenticide Regulations | Page 4

WANT TO SUBSCRIBE? Just send your e-mail address to UCIPMretail@

ucdavis.edu with the subject line “Subscribe to retail newsletter,” and we will put

you on the list to receive it electronically. Please share this newsletter with your

co-workers and encourage them to subscribe too!

A new corps of IPM professionals will soon be helping retail nurseries and garden centers promote environmentally friendly alternatives for managing home and garden pests.

The new and innovative IPM Advocates program is currently preparing the first group of “advocates” to help retail stores give out better information about less toxic products and safe use of pesticides.

Participants become certified IPM Advocates after successfully completing a seven-week, hands-on training course and a nine-month mentoring period where they work directly with three stores. At the stores they assist with inventory selection, displays, marketing, customer outreach, and employee training.

Program leaders anticipate that IPM Advocates will continue this work as consul-tants to stores or public agencies after the mentoring period ends.

Mary Louise Flint, UC IPM associate director for urban and community IPM and one of the program leaders, noted that “consumer demand for infor-mation on less toxic alternative practices and products is growing. Although most stores carry safer, effective products, many store employees simply don’t have the training to respond to consumers’ questions about them.”

➥ Continued online at http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/highlights

IPM Advocates program launched in stores

IN BRIEF

n Retail stores need help promoting environmentally friendly pest management.

n Group is training IPM advocates to advise retail stores.

Future IPM advocates learn about IPM products. Photo by M. L. Flint.

n FOR THE LATEST UPDATES, SUBSCRIBE TO OUR RSS FEEDS AT WWW.IPM.UCDAVIS.EDU/RSS.

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UC IPM is reaching out to give Spanish speakers easy access to the best home and garden pest man-agement solutions. Viewers can use a new Español button on the popular touch-screen UC IPM kiosks to see management tips, diagnose problems, watch videos, and print and take home informa-tion for future reference—all in Spanish.

Twenty-two kiosks rotate among UC Master Gardener presentations, local libraries, retail nurseries and garden centers, zoos, county fairs, and other local community events. Locations are posted on the UC IPM Web site.

UC Cooperative Extension and Master Gardener programs are using the kiosk and Quick Tip pest cards to educate Spanish speakers in their communities about available information and resources. In San Diego, the kiosk and Quick Tips have been highlighted in a series of well-attended Spanish-language gardening workshops. In San Luis Obispo County, Spanish-speaking maintenance gardeners were introduced to the kiosk during classes covering IPM topics. Other Master Gardener programs, including those in Riverside and Yolo counties, are training new Spanish-speaking Master Gardeners to deliver these materials and other horticultural information to Latino audiences.

Funding for the translation of the UC IPM kiosk was provided by the West-ern Integrated Pest Management Center.

Getting information to Spanish-speaking audiences

IN BRIEF

n UC IPM Kiosk now available in Spanish.

n Kiosk ties to Spanish version of Quick Tip cards.

n Both used in outreach to gardeners and training of Master Gardeners.

Touch-screen IPM kiosk is now used in outreach to Spanish speakers. Photo by K. Windbiel-Rojas.

Urban-area pesticide applicators who take UC IPM’s newest online courses can learn to reduce pesticides in rain and irriga-tion runoff and to correctly calibrate their application equipment. While improv-ing their knowledge, applicators will earn continuing education credits from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.

UC IPM released Urban Pesticide Runoff and Mitigation early in the year. The four-credit course covers basic IPM principles, properties of pesticides, the ways pesti-cides get into waterways, and practical steps applicators can take to keep pesti-cides from moving away from where they are applied. The remainder of the course highlights herbicides as well as bifenthrin and fipronil, important insecticides that are being detected in California waterways.

Pesticide Application Equipment and Calibration for professionals working with turf and landscapes gives a step-by-step approach to calibrating many types of application equipment to ensure the correct amount of pesticide is applied to a treatment area.

Handouts highlight the key points of each course, while quizzes throughout the narrated modules break up the instruction and reinforce the material. Users who review individual modules within the course and pass a final test receive a certificate of completion.

To view these courses and the supplemental training material, see http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/training/.

Funded by California Department of Pesticide Regulation, the work was carried out by UC IPM Interactive Learning Developer Cheryl Reynolds with input from UC IPM’s Tunyalee Martin, Cheryl Wilen, Mary Louise Flint, and Joyce Strand as well as Cooperative Extension Advisor Darren Haver and Cooperative Extension Specialist Jay Gan.

UC IPM offers new online courses

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With the new Vineyard Pest identification and Monitoring Cards, growers, vineyard managers, pest control advisors, and field workers can look for and identify a wide variety of insects, mites, plant diseases, weeds, and natural enemies.

The key to grape IPM is knowing what pests are in the vineyard. This pocket-sized deck of laminated cards is perfect to take to the field and serves as a quick reference about monitoring pests and what they look like. Excellent close-up color pho-tographs—244 in all—support descriptions of each life stage, while monitoring tips tell when, where, and what to look for.

Authors and IPM advisors Lucia Varela and Walter Bentley hope field crews will have easy access to the cards so they can point out important pests when they see them. “Vineyard workers are the eyes of the growers, and they can be the first to see a pest,” Varela said.

Vineyard pest managers harvest new materials

UC IPM has developed an easy-to-use tool to help residents quickly identify pests they see and distin-guish them from good-guy beneficial insects.

Designed as a wheel, this pest identifier shows a dozen problems and includes a photo along with a

brief description of where the pest is found, its dam-age, and least-toxic control options.

The information is in English on one side and in Spanish on the other. Many UC Master Gardeners are distributing the

wheels as part of their local programs.

UC IPM Program Representative Scott Parker in San Diego County developed the wheel.

Know your pest with IPM’s new insect identifier

Two new resources are available on the UC IPM Web site to help the public learn more about biological control. Users can download a new poster, Meet the Beneficials: Natural Enemies of Garden Pests, containing 23 high-quality photos of insects, mites, and spiders that attack insect and mite pests. The poster is posted online as a PDF for personal, noncommercial printing.

Also new to the Web site is a 24-minute narrated presentation, Biological Control in Landscapes and Gardens.

These products as well as a variety of other re-sources related to biological control are available on the Web site’s Natural Enemies Gallery.

Two new biological control resources available

Green lacewing adults eat nectar and pollen. Some species also eat insects.

Green lacewing larvae feed on mites, eggs, and small insects, especially aphids.

Green lacewing eggs are laid on slender stalks in groups (as shown here) or individually.

Predaceous ground beetle larvae live on soil and in litter, feeding on almost any invertebrate.

Predaceous ground beetle adults stalk soil-dwelling insects, such as cutworms and root maggots.

Assassin bugs attack almost any insect.

Pirate bugs attack mites and any tiny insect, especially thrips.

Damsel bugs are predaceous on a wide variety of small insects.

Soldier beetle adults eat mostly aphids; their larvae are soil-dwelling.

Spiders, including this crab spider, attack all types of insects.

Meet the Beneficials:Natural Enemies of Garden Pests

Syrphid fly (flower fly, hover fly) adults eat pollen and nectar.

Syrphid fly larvae eat mostly aphids but also soft-bodied insects.

Sixspotted thrips attack mostly mites.

Western predatory mites attack pest mites.

Adults of predatory wasps, such as this paper wasp, prey on caterpillars and other insects.

Praying mantids don’t control pests, because they eat both beneficials and pests.

Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program

Visit the Natural Enemies Gallery at www.ipm.ucdavis.edu

for more information!

Parasites live and feed in or on a larger animal (host). Nearly all insect pests have at least one parasite that attacks them. Insects that parasitize other invertebrates (sometimes called parasitoids) are parasitic only in their immature stages and kill their host just as they reach maturity. Most insect parasites are host-specific wasps or flies, and many are so small that often you won’t see them. An adult parasite can lay eggs in hundreds of host individuals with a resulting quick reduction in pest numbers.

Parasitized aphids die and turn into crusty “mummies” that can be black or beige. The hole in the mummy at left indicates a parasite has emerged. The aphid in the middle is healthy.

Some parasites attack insect eggs, such as the Trissolcus species wasp.

The blackish scale insects have wasp larvae developing within.

Caterpillar parasites include the Hyposoter exiguae wasp.

Aphid parasite life cycle: The adult lays an egg in an aphid. The egg hatches into a larva that feeds inside. After killing the aphid, the wasp larva pupates then emerges as a wasp.

PHOTOS: J. K. CLARK

Convergent lady beetles prefer to eat aphids but sometimes eat whiteflies and other soft-bodied insects. Shown here are the adult (left), larva (center), and cluster of eggs (right).

Predators hunt, attack, and kill their prey. Encourage these natural enemies by avoiding pesticides that kill them; choosing plants that provide them pollen, nectar, and shelter; and keeping ants out of pest infested plants. Common predators that eat garden pests are pictured below.

Natural Enemies poster_TAKE 6_gold.indd 1 5/17/11 2:38 PM

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Readers can now easily compare potential hazards of pesticides mentioned in 25 of the most-viewed Pest Notes for homes and landscapes. Tables pres-ent the potential for each active ingredient to harm aquatic wildlife, beneficial organisms, honey bees, and people and other mammals.

The tables link from a Compare Risks button included in each Pest Note where the feature has been activated. Values are shown as colored bars or symbols. Each active ingredient links to de-scription of other characteristics as well as tips for applying it safely and effectively.

Pesticide risk information added to Pest Notes

New seasonal IPM programs for corn, cucurbits, lettuce, and peppers are available to help growers manage pests “year-round.” Using USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service funding, UC IPM program representatives Jodi Azulai and Kim Osienski worked with UC authors to develop the year-round IPM programs based on the UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines online series, which is available for 44 crops.

Coordinator Tunyalee Martin updated eight pest management guide-line crops as authors submitted new information about specific pests or management methods.

Agricultural Pest Management Guidelines updated

Rows of lettuce plants in a field. Photo by R. F. Smith.

As Phase 1 of a major makeover, UC IPM released a new Web home page in October. The new look, layout, and reorganization were creat-ed to help readers more readily find the doorway to the pest management information they need.

The Web site continues to house a wealth of sci-ence-based, practical solutions to pest problems for home gardeners and professionals as well as farmers and advisers/consultants. The informa-tion is also designed to help natural resource managers and people in any environment who are faced with a new or invading pest.

The home page and top-level menus across the site have been redesigned using cleaner, more cur-rent Web design guidelines. Other pages of the site have lesser style changes. Additional design and organization changes will be rolled out over the next year.

New Web site design launched

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PEST NOTES Publication 7433

University of California

Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program

Agriculture and Natural Resources

September 2009

Pocket gophers, often called gophers,

Thomomys species (Fig. 1), are burrow-

ing rodents that get their name from

the fur-lined, external cheek pouches,

or pockets, they use for carrying food

and nesting materials. Pocket gophers

are well equipped for a digging, tunnel-

ing lifestyle with their powerfully built

forequarters; large-clawed front paws;

fine, short fur that doesn’t cake in wet

soils; small eyes and ears; and highly

sensitive facial whiskers that assist with

moving about in the dark. A gopher’s

lips also are unusually adapted for their

lifestyle; they can close them behind

their four large incisor teeth to keep

dirt out of their mouths when using

their teeth for digging.

IDENTIFICATION

Five species of pocket gophers are

found in California, with Botta’s pocket

gopher, T. bottae, being most wide-

spread. Depending on the species, they

are 6 to 10 inches long. For the most

part, gophers remain underground in

their burrow system, although you’ll

sometimes see them feeding at the edge

of an open burrow, pushing dirt out of

a burrow, or moving to a new area.

Mounds of fresh soil are the best sign

of a gopher’s presence. Gophers form

mounds as they dig tunnels and push

the loose dirt to the surface. Typi-

cally mounds are crescent or horseshoe

shaped when viewed from above (Fig.

2). The hole, which is off to one side of

the mound, usually is plugged. Mole

mounds (Fig. 3) are sometimes mistaken

for gopher mounds. Mole mounds, how-

ever, are more circular and have a plug

in the middle that might not be distinct;

in profile they are volcano-shaped. Un-

like gophers, moles commonly burrow

just beneath the surface, leaving a raised

ridge to mark their path.

One gopher can create several mounds

in a day. In nonirrigated areas, mound

building is most pronounced during

spring or fall when the soil is moist and

easy to dig. In irrigated areas such as

lawns, flower beds, and gardens, dig-

ging conditions usually are optimal

year round, and mounds can appear at

any time. In snowy regions, gophers

create burrows in the snow, resulting

in long, earthen cores on the surface

when the snow melts.

BIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR

Pocket gophers live in a burrow system

that can cover an area that is 200 to

2,000 square feet. The burrows are about

2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Feed-

ing burrows usually are 6 to 12 inches

below ground, and the nest and food

storage chamber can be as deep as 6 feet.

Gophers seal the openings to the bur-

row system with earthen plugs. Short,

sloping lateral tunnels connect the main

burrow system to the surface; gophers

create these while pushing dirt to the

surface to construct the main tunnel.

Gophers don’t hibernate and are active

year-round, although you might not

see any fresh mounding. They also can

be active at all hours of the day.

Gophers usually live alone within their

burrow system, except when females

are caring for their young or during

breeding season. Gopher densities can

be as high as 60 or more per acre in

irrigated alfalfa fields or in vineyards.

Gophers reach sexual maturity about

1 year of age and can live up to 3 years.

In nonirrigated areas, breeding usually

occurs in late winter and early spring,

resulting in 1 litter per year; in irrigat-

ed sites, gophers can produce up to 3

litters per year. Litters usually average

5 to 6 young.

Pocket gophers are herbivorous and

feed on a wide variety of vegetation

but generally prefer herbaceous plants,

shrubs, and trees. Gophers use their

sense of smell to locate food. Most com-

monly they feed on roots and fleshy

portions of plants they encounter while

digging. However, they sometimes feed

aboveground, venturing only a body

length or so from their tunnel opening.

Integrated Pest Management for Home Gardeners and Landscape ProfessionalsPocket GoPhers

Figure 1. Adult pocket gopher, Thomo-

mys species.

Figure 3. Top view of a mole mound.

Figure 2. Top view of a pocket gopher

mound.

Resource Roundup

Written and peer-reviewed by UC scientists for home gardeners, landscape professionals, and the general public, Pest Notes form the core content of the home and garden section of UC IPM’s Web site. This year’s list of most popular titles includes:

UC Master Gardeners and others in county UC Cooperative Extension offices use Pest Notes to help answer questions from the general public. The documents are available both online and in a PDF format for easy printing.

Top 10 Pest Notes

1. Rats2. Aphids3. Carpet Beetles4. Ants5. Cockroaches6. Head Lice7. Pocket Gophers8. Snails and Slugs9. Mushrooms and Other Nuisance Fungi in Lawns10. Bed Bugs

PEST NOTES Publication 7427

University of California

Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program

Agriculture and Natural Resources

November 2009

Snails and slugs are among the most

bothersome pests in many gardens and

landscapes. The brown garden snail, Cor-

nu aspersum (formerly Helix aspersa), is the

most common snail causing problems in

California gardens (Fig. 1). It was intro-

duced from France during the 1850s for

use as food. Another troublesome snail is

the white garden snail, Theba pisana (Fig.

2). It currently is established only in San

Diego County but has been found in Los

Angeles and Orange counties as well.

Several species of slugs also cause

damage including the gray garden slug

(Deroceras reticulatum, formerly Agrio-

limax meticulatus) (Fig. 3), the banded

slug (Lehmannia poirieri), the three-band

garden slug (L. valentiana), the tawny

slug (Limacus flavus) (Fig. 4), and the

greenhouse slug (Milax gagates).

IDENTIFICATION AND

BIOLOGYBoth snails and slugs are members of

the mollusk phylum and are similar in

structure and biology, except slugs lack

the snail’s external, spiral shell. These

mollusks move by gliding along on a

muscular “foot.” This muscle constant-

ly secretes mucus, which facilitates

their movement and later dries to form

the silvery “slime trail” that signals the

presence of either pest.

All land slugs and snails are hermaph-

rodites, so all have the potential to lay

eggs. Adult brown garden snails lay an

average of 80 spherical, pearly white

eggs (Fig. 5) at a time into a hole in the

soil. They can lay eggs up to 6 times a

year, and it takes about 2 years for snails

to mature. Slugs reach maturity after

about 3 to 6 months, depending on the

species, and lay clear, oval to round eggs

in batches of 3 to 40 beneath leaves, in

soil cracks, and in other protected areas.

Snails and slugs are most active at

night and on cloudy or foggy days. On

sunny days they seek hiding places out

of the heat and bright light. Often the

only clues to their presence are their

silvery trails and plant damage. In

areas with mild winters, such as south-

ern coastal locations, snails and slugs

can be active throughout the year.

During cold weather, snails and slugs

hibernate in the topsoil. During hot,

dry periods or when it is cold, snails

seal themselves off with a parchment-

like membrane and often attach them-

selves to tree trunks, fences, or walls.

DAMAGESnails and slugs feed on a variety of liv-

ing plants and on decaying plant matter.

They chew irregular holes with smooth

edges in leaves and flowers and can clip

succulent plant parts. They also can

chew fruit and young plant bark.

Because they prefer succulent foliage or

flowers, they primarily are pests of seed-

lings and herbaceous plants, but they

also are serious pests of ripening fruits

that are close to the ground such as

strawberries, artichokes, and tomatoes.

They also will feed on foliage and fruit

of some trees; citrus are especially sus-

ceptible to damage. Look for the silvery

mucous trails to confirm slugs or snails

caused the damage and not earwigs,

caterpillars, or other chewing insects.

MANAGEMENT

A good snail and slug management pro-

gram relies on a combination of methods.

The first step is to eliminate, as much as

possible, all places where they can hide

during the day. Boards, stones, debris,

weedy areas around tree trunks, leafy

branches growing close to the ground,

and dense ground covers such as ivy are

Integrated Pest Management for Home Gardeners and Landscape ProfessionalsSnailS and SlugS

Figure 1. Brown garden snail.

Figure 2. Adult white garden snail,

Theba pisana.

Figure 3. Gray garden slugs with chew-

ing damage and slime trails on leaves.

Figure 4. Tawny slug, also called yellow

cellar slug.

New resources and updates from UC IPM in the past year include:

Pest management information and toolsAvailable online, unless otherwise notedn Pest Management Guidelines—updated eight cropsn Year-round IPM programs—added four crops

(Asparagus, Corn, Cucurbits, and Peppers)n Pest Notes—revised 19 titles and added two

(Indian Walking Stick and Olive Knot)n Quick Tips in English—revised 25 titles and

added one (Parasites of Insect Pests) (also in print)n Quick Tips in Spanish—revised five titles and

added five (Arañas comunes del jardín [Common Garden Spiders], Depredadores benéficos [Beneficial Predators], Herbicidas para controlar malezas [Weed Control Using Herbicides], Insecticidas menos tóxicos [Less Toxic Insecticides], and Parásitos de insectos plaga [Parasites of Insect Pests]) (also in print)

n Meet the Beneficials! poster (also in print)n Pest identifier wheel (print)n Vineyard Pest Identification and Monitoring

Cards (print)n Home and landscape pesticide databasen European grapevine moth brochure and poster

(print)n Goldspotted Oak Borer Field Identification Guiden Guide to Moths and Worms in Grapevine Clusters

(print)n Pesticide active ingredient cards (also in print)n UC IPM Green Bulletin newsletter—three issuesn Retail Nursery and Garden Center IPM News

newsletter—four issues (also in print)

Online training materialsn IPM/pesticide propertiesn Impact of pesticides on water quality/mitigating

runoffn Bifenthrin and fipronil mitigationn Herbicides and water qualityn Pesticide application equipment and calibrationn Controlling European grapevine mothn European grapevine moth (Spanish)

About the UC IPM ProgramThe University of California Statewide IPM Program was established in 1979 to develop and promote the use of integrated, ecologically sound pest management programs in California. It sponsors activities throughout California.

UC IPM Highlights is an annual publication of the UC Statewide IPM Program. Edited and designed by Michelle Fayard; production by Repro Graphics. For more copies, contact [email protected].

The University of California prohibits discrimination or harassment of any person in any of its programs or activi-ties. The complete nondiscrimination policy statement can be found at http://ucanr.org/sites/anrstaff/files/107734.doc. Inquiries regarding the university’s equal employ-ment opportunity policies may be directed to Linda Marie Manton, Affirmative Action Contact, University of Califor-nia, Davis, Agriculture and Natural Resources, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, (530) 752-0495.

Cover photos, clockwise from upper left: Vineyard worker by J. K. Clark; California poppy by J. K. Clark; residential garden by Marin County Master Gardeners; vineyard in autumn by J. K. Clark; and peach orchard by J. K. Clark.

Three revised UC IPM books are in production for release in 2012.

Integrated Pest Management for Citrus, a major revision of the 1991 manual, closely coordi-nates with the online UC IPM Pest Manage-ment Guidelines: Citrus.

In its second edition, IPM in Practice will continue to serve as a textbook, an up-to-date reference for pest management professionals, and a study guide for the California licensing exam for pest control advisers.

The third edition of Integrated Pest Man-agement for Rice will reflect updated IPM techniques in response to new rice production practices in California.

Upcoming UC IPM publications