Backyard Orchard News
Taking Possession of the Lavender
Possession is nine-tenths of the law. It also applies to bees foraging on lavender. A black-faced...
A black-faced bumble bee, Bombus californicus, stretches between two lavender stems as a honey bee moves in to gather nectar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
All mine! The black-faced bumble bee, Bombus californicus, takes control. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Citricola Scale Eggs are Hatching
Adult citricola scales are lining up on the twigs. Their eggs are hatching this month and crawlers are moving about on the twigs and settling on the leaves. Adults are hard to kill with insecticides and the eggs under their bodies are protected from insecticides. If you wait till all the eggs hatch and the crawlers move out onto the leaves, the insecticides will work better. Usually egg hatch finishes towards the end of July. You can check this by flipping over the female scales and looking to see if there are fresh eggs.
Cool wet springs favor egg hatch and survival of citricola scale, so be on your guard this spring. See the Citrus IPM Guidelines for Citricola scale for information on treatments. A new citricola scale-effective insecticide that will soon be added to the guidelines is Sivanto (flupyradifurone).
Mosquitoes Are in the News Three-Fold at UC Davis and Here's Why!
Mosquitoes are in the news three-fold at the University of California, Davis. First, there's the...
Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that transmits dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika viruses. (CDC Photo)
Fleeting Face of Mr. Van Dyke
He's racing through the lavender patch at breakneck speed, as if he's going to be charged with...
A male bumble bee, Bombus vandykei, sips nectar from a lavender blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Another lavender blossom draws the attention of the male bumble bee, Bombus vandykei. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Side view of the male bumble bee, Bombus vandykei. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Look ma, no head! The male bumble bee, Bombus vandykei, draws nectar through his tongue or proboscis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources to assist with the Bravo Lake Botanical Garden Berry Festival on May 28, 2016.
The Bravo Lake Botanical Garden Berry Festival is Saturday, May 28, from 8 am to 12 noon. There is an entrance fee of $5 per person, with children five years old and under free. UC Master Gardeners, UC ANR Kearney Agricultural, Lindcove, and Westside Research and Extension Centers are participants.
There will be blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, oranges, peaches, nectarines, Pakistani mulberries, and Setton Farms pistachio chews to taste. Visitors can walk through the tropical, vegetable, and rose gardens. They have the option to pick their own berries from the blueberry and blackberry gardens for a nominal cost.
Some of the other participants are the Sequoia Chapter of the Rare Fruit Growers, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, Woodlake Pride Garden Volunteers, Family Health Care Network, Woodlake Chamber of Commerce, the city of Woodlake, Proteus Inc., and Mid-Valley Disposal Inc.
The garden is located in Woodlake at 400 E. Naranjo Blvd. From highway 99, take highway 198 east, about 15 miles, turn north on road 196, turn east on Avenue 344 (Naranjo Blvd,). The garden is located on Naranjo Blvd., two blocks east from the four way stop.
For more information, contact Manuel Jimenez, UC Cooperative Extension advisor, emeritus in Tulare County, at 559-280-2483.