HOrT COCO-UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa

Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program in Contra Costa County Updated Situation: Bed bug encounters are on the rise in California.

Help for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County Gardener's Request: Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk about the ant pests in your recently installed raised bed vegetable garden.

Client's Request: I'm a trapper in the Ag Department. We have been looking for plum bud gall mites in the county. I recently came across this plum tree with a huge growth or gall, it's 8" long and 7" wide on the underside of a branch, the tree is around 15 years old.

Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County Gardener's request: I've just caught and identified what looks like a California Angle-wing Katydid.

Advice for Home Gardeners from the Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County Home Gardener's Request: I found 2 of these little beetle like bugs about 1/4-inch long in our home. Are they cockroaches? I've seen them outside as well.