About UC IPM pest information

The UC Statewide IPM Program provides practical information on pest management techniques and identification for a broad range of California pests. Management suggestions apply to California, but they may be useful in other areas also.

Pest Management Guidelines

The UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines (PMGs) for agricultural crops and commercial floriculture and turf production are authored primarily by UC scientists. Authors are noted on each document. Before publication, manuscripts are peer-reviewed by other experts in the subject matter. Once published, Pest Management Guidelines are updated annually as needed to keep pesticides and other management information current, and Pest Management Guidelines for each crop are thoroughly reviewed/revised at least every five years.

Each Pest Management Guideline page shows "updated" and "reviewed" dates beneath the name of the pest.

• Reviewed indicates when the guideline was last reviewed for completeness and current information (five-year review).
• Updated indicates when the document was last changed, from an annual update or five-year review.
• Even if the five-year review reveals no need for content changes, the reviewed date is changed to reflect that the information is current as of the date of the review.

The Pest Management Guidelines for many crops feature a Year-Round IPM Program section, which suggests appropriate observations and management techniques for common pests in each season. Year-Round IPM Program information is compiled from the corresponding Pest Management Guideline, but arranged chronologically. Year-Round IPM Programs are also peer-reviewed by experts, and, once created, they are updated along with the corresponding Pest Management Guidelines.

Quick Tips and Pest Notes

Quick Tips are very short-answer fact sheets aimed at consumers and nonprofessional audiences.  Compiled by UC IPM staff, Quick Tips are drawn directly from the information contained in the Pest Notes (see below) and reviewed by the original authors. Quick Tips are reviewed and revised when their corresponding Pest Notes are updated.

Pest Notes are longer publications about specific pests or pest management practices, written for home gardeners, residents, UC Master Gardeners, landscape professionals, public agency professionals, and managers of wildlands and open spaces.  Authored by University of California scientists, each Pest Note is peer reviewed through the UC ANR process.  As a series coordinated by a technical editor, they follow format and content guidelines established by the UC IPM Program and are edited, produced, and often illustrated by UC IPM staff.  Once published, each document is reviewed periodically, typically about every 5 years, and updated as needed.

Other Content. The home and landscape section of our Web site also includes information from other UC ANR resources, primarily peer-reviewed UC IPM books and products, including Pests of Landscape Trees and Shrubs, Pests of the Garden and Small Farm, Integrated Pest Management for Floriculture, and the UC Guide to Solving Garden and Landscape Problems (CD).  The UC Guide to Healthy Lawns, Pesticides and Water Quality, and the Key to Identifying Common Household Ants are separately authored and reviewed resources.

Pesticide information

Please note that the pesticides suggested throughout our Web site conformed to the registered California pesticide labels at the time the publications were published or last reviewed. Pesticide registrations change frequently at both the state and federal levels, and UC IPM staff update the databases when notified. Ultimately, users are responsible for ensuring that their use conforms to current labels and local regulations.

Our pages do not contain indexes of state or federal pesticide registrations. They list only those pesticides specifically suggested by the authors as being effective against the pest and compatible with the goals of the pest management program. Our pages do not provide labels, complete label directions, or complete label information. Before each pesticide application, make sure you have a current pesticide label and be sure to follow its instructions. Check with your county agricultural commissioner for the latest restricted interval requirements.

To simplify information, trade names of products (and, in some cases, specific formulations) may be used. No endorsements of named products are intended, nor is criticism implied of similar products that are not mentioned.