Common Pest Questions
The Pest Prevention Program protects local agriculture and the environment by stopping the spread of insect and vertebrate pests, weeds, and diseases through exclusion, trapping and regulating the movement of agricultural commodities in and out of the county. Under the pest exclusion program, Marin County Agricultural inspectors inspect incoming plant shipments at FedEx and UPS terminals, working to prevent the entry and establishment of exotic pests and limiting the intrastate movement of newly-discovered pests. Examples of pests of concern include the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter, European Grapevine Moth, Spongy Moth, Japanese Beetle, and Med-Fly.
Please refer to the University of California's Integrated Pest Management (IPM) website.
If you can't identify the insect using the UC IPM guide, bring it in to our office at 1682 Novato Blvd, Suite 150-A in Novato, CA 94947. We or UC Cooperative Extension staff may be able to identify it. We are unable to identify insects via photo.
If you can’t identify your plant, bring a sample in to UC Cooperative Extension at 1682 Novato Blvd, Suite 150-B in Novato, CA 94947. We recommend giving them a call first, as they may be able to answer your questions without you making the trip: 415-473-4204.
Insect traps are deployed around the county by either Marin County Inspectors or Inspectors working for the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). These traps are placed and serviced at regular intervals to monitor the county for populations of highly invasive, exotic pest insects. Prevention is a major part of protecting not only Marin County agriculture from these invasive pests but our natural resources as well.
The county has residential traps in place monitoring for populations of Mediterranean Fruit Fly, Oriental Fruit Fly, Spongy Moth, Asian Citrus Psyllid, Glassy Winged Sharpshooter, and Japanese Beetle.
If you see a trap in your tree, please do not tamper with it. If you have questions or concerns about its placement, please contact us at 415-473-6700.
The Marin County Beekeepers Association maintains a "Swarm List" of beekeepers who will remove unwanted hives from your property. If you have wasps/yellow jackets, please see the question and answer below.
Wasp and yellowjacket control traps and products are available at retail garden and hardware stores. When using these products, always be sure to read and follow the instructions as written on the product label.
For in-ground nests, the Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector control can provide assistance with control. Their services can be requested online at Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control or via phone at 707-285-2200.
Residents may also consider hiring a licensed pest control company, which can maintain bait stations or traps and monitor the effectiveness of the control program.
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