Voracious insect-eaters are also important pollinators By Michael Harrelson (This article originally appeared in the October 17, 2024 edition of the San Diego Union-Tribune) In many cultures, extending back millennia, bats have been associated with the devil, witchcraft and evil-doers. Their nocturnal activities have spurned countless myths about malevolent behavior: Ancient Judaic texts referred to […]
As colonies of crucial pollinators scout out new nesting sites, residents have options for how to handle them in a beneficial way By Leah Taylor (This article was originally published in the April 13, 2024 edition of the San Diego Union-Tribune.) As spring blooms across the Golden State, an annual spectacle unfolds in the orchards […]
By Leah Taylor The South American Palm Weevil (SAPW)(Rhynchophorus palmarum) continues to pester the Golden State and is posing a significant threat to California’s iconic palm tree population. Native to tropical regions of South and Central America, the SAPW has a particular affinity for palm species including the majestic Canary Islands date palm and edible […]
The Importance of Insects in Our Gardens By Valorie Shatynski November 2023 Most of us enjoy the sight of a butterfly flitting and lilting from blossom to blossom in our garden, but what about those less glamorous insects and other garden critters? Why should we not only tolerate spiders, pill bugs, aphids, bees or […]
At any life stage, ladybugs are a garden’s friend BY SUSAN PRANSKY (This article originally appeared in the San Diego Union-Tribune October 14, 2023) If you saw an insect that vaguely resembled a tiny alligator on one of your plants, would you think that perhaps you should remove it, squish it or run for the spray? […]
