Invasive Species

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the webinar scheduled for April 21 has been canceled and will be rescheduled for another date. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Every year, invasive pests cause billions of dollars of damage to California agricultural systems and natural areas. These pests can be weeds, plant pathogens, insects, vertebrates, shellfish and other aquatic species.

The black fig fly is a new invasive species recently found in Southern California. It has been found in fig orchards in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura counties. This small insect attacks only figs and prefers unripe or unpollinated fruit.

Two identical looking species of wood-boring beetles, collectively known as invasive shothole borers (ISHB), have killed thousands of trees in Southern California and pose an ongoing threat to California's urban and wildland forests.

California has abundant wildlands forests, rangeland, open areas, wildlife refuges and national, state, and local parks that need protection from invasive plants.

The giant whitefly is not a gargantuan monster out of an old sci-fi movie, although it is quite a bit larger compared to other whiteflies. Whiteflies are typically tiny insects that are hard to spot on plants unless they are flying, but the giant whitefly is more obvious.

California Invasive Species Action Week began Saturday, June 5 and runs through Sunday, June 13, 2021. Increasing public awareness of invasive species and their impacts helps protect our natural resources, waterways, native species, agriculture, and health.

Invasive pests threaten California's natural environments, agricultural production, structures, landscapes and gardens, causing billions of dollars of damage to our agricultural systems and natural areas each year.

Weeds are usually thought of as native plants we don't want in areas such as landscapes, fields, or vegetable gardens either because they reduce economic output or they are considered aesthetically displeasing.

The white garden snail (Theba pisana), sometimes known as the Italian white snail, can be a serious pest of landscape ornamentals, including trees, shrubs, groundcovers, and herbaceous plants (Figure 1).