Backyard Orchard News
Apple Blossom Time
It's apple blossom time. Whether you wait for it, or the bees wait for it, it's here. Albert Von...
Honey bee gathering the sweet nectar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Honey bee about to take flight for another apple blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A honey bee tucked in her blanket of blossoms. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
From Butterflies to Blood Pressure and Beyond
It promises to be a lively discussion. UC Davis entomologist Bruce Hammock, distinguished...
Western tiger swallowtail, Papilio rutulus. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bruce Hammock in his habitat. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Dancing the Flamenco
One of TV's popular programs is "Dancing with Stars." The reality show pairs celebrities with...
Honey bee greets a Spanish lavender blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Honey bee nectaring Spanish lavender. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Close-up of honey bee partnering with a blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
California Red Scale Males are Flying
Pheromone traps put out at the end of February help determine when the male California red scales begin to fly. Each orchard is slightly different, depending on orientation, density of trees and location in the valley (Kern is quite a bit warmer than Madera). We trap for scales in Tulare County, and call around for biofixes in the other counties. Our web page shows county-wide biofixes of March 18 for Kern, March 25 for Tulare, and likely April 1 for Fresno and Madera. http://ucanr.edu/sites/KACCitrusEntomology/Home/California_Red_Scale/Degree_Days_885/
This is a great site to bookmark and follow to see when 1st and 2nd generation crawlers are emerging. The 1st generation crawlers emerge 550 degree days after the biofix of the first male flight. The newly settled crawlers are the easiest group of scales to control with insecticides. For more information on monitoring and management of scales see the UC IPM guidelines http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r107301111.html and the Citrograph article "The Proper Monitoring and Management of Californai Red Scale" http://www.citrusresearch.org/citromarapr2012.
Pheromone trap collects male California red scales
The Invasion of Tropical Fruit Flies
From a trickle to a flood. But why? Professor James R. Carey of the UC Davis Department of...
Mediterranean Fruit Fly. (Photo by Jack Kelly Clark)