May is here and with all the fluctuations in our weather lately, there is a lot going on in the landscape! Follow these general tips for the month of May to prevent pests. To see more tips specific to your region, visit the Seasonal Landscape IPM Checklist on the UC IPM website.

• Look for the invasive Asian citrus psyllid on new citrus growth. If not known to occur in your area, report findings to your local county agricultural commissioner.
• Prune winter-flowering shrubs like camellia before next year's flower buds form.
• Check plants for leaf stippling or webbing from spider mites. Irrigate adequately, mist leaf undersides daily, reduce dustiness, or spray horticultural oil to manage them.
  
• Monitor for grape diseases like powdery mildew, Eutypa dieback, Phomopsis cane and leaf spot, and others. Prune, remove, or treat as appropriate.
• Cover fruit trees with netting to exclude birds and other vertebrate pests.
• Watch for yellowjackets and other wasps building nests in undesirable locations. Knock down newly started nests and use lure or water traps to control populations.
• Fertilize caneberries, citrus, deciduous fruit trees, palms, and heavily-flowering shrubs with a slow-release product if not done in March or April.
• Monitor stone fruit trees for pests such as aphids, borers, brown rot, caterpillars, powdery mildew, and scale insects.
• Manage ants. Plants infested with honeydew producing insects like aphids, whiteflies, and mealybugs may attract ants who take that honeydew back to the nest to feed the colony. Manage ants around landscape and building foundations using insecticide baits and trunk barriers.

Don't see your county on the checklist or want to provide feedback? Let us know!