UC IPM’s instructional videos show you how to monitor and manage pests. This year, we developed two new how-to sampling videos for urban and community IPM and agricultural IPM, both featuring creatures that are difficult to see with the naked eye.

Monitoring Trees for Invasive Shothole Borers features tiny beetles that live in trees and pose a major threat to Southern California’s urban forests. Shothole borers introduce fungi that cause a tree disease called Fusarium dieback. Fusarium dieback and shothole borers are responsible for the death of thousands of trees in Southern California. Invasive shothole borers attack a wide variety of tree species including avocados, common landscape trees, and California native species in urban and wildland environments. Managing shothole borers and preventing their spread requires early identification and ongoing monitoring. Produced by Beatriz Nobua-Behrmann, John Kabashima, Curtis Ewing, Albre Brown, Akif Eskalen, and Randall Oliver Monitoring Trees for Invasive Shothole Borers describes how to monitor for the beetles and how to take and submit tissue and beetle samples for identification.

This year, we developed two new how-to sampling videos for urban and community IPM and agricultural IPM, both featuring creatures that are difficult to see with the naked eye.

Soil Sampling for Nematodes in Walnut and Almond Orchards features nematodes—creatures that can typically only be seen with a microscope. Most nematodes that live in the soil play an important role in the food web and nutrient cycling. Plant-parasitic nematodes feed on living plant tissues. They can distort or otherwise damage root tissue, interfere with water and nutrient uptake, and may predispose trees to other pathogens. Most plant-parasitic nematodes look very similar. Correct identification is important to assess damage potential. In Soil Sampling for Nematodes in Walnut and Almond Orchards, Andreas Westphal presents how to sample soil and roots to assess the presence, number, and species of nematodes present in your walnut or almond orchard to inform management decisions. Produced by Andreas Westphal, Ria DeBiase, Ray Lucas, Petr Kosina, and Tunyalee Martin.

See UC IPM’s instructional videos on our YouTube Channel: @UCIPM.