May 2026 Greener Davis Environmental News

Preparing Your Yard for Summer

Single-family homes in Davis typically use twice as much water in the summer than in the winter. This is mostly due to irrigation use, which means it’s very important to make sure that your irrigation system is working properly and only watering what needs to be watered. These tips may help:

• Inspect your irrigation system. Test your irrigation system to make sure it's functioning properly because problems are not always visible unless the system is running.
• Check the batteries. Irrigation controllers sometimes revert to factory settings after even a brief power outage.
• Late nights or early mornings are best. Run your irrigation system in the early morning or late at night to prevent evaporation.
• Convert your landscape. Consider removing all or part of your turf and replacing it with low-water use plants (consider native plants and pollinator-friendly species).
• Don’t forget your trees. Deep water your trees in the spring and summer as needed depending upon the age of your tree, as young and mature trees have different watering needs.
• Current watering restrictions limit sprinkler/spray irrigation to a maximum of three days per week. This only applies to sprinkler/spray irrigation and does not apply to other methods of irrigation such as drip systems and hand-watering. For additional savings, cut back each irrigation cycle by 1-2 minutes (but make sure you are still watering your trees.)
• Monitor your water use. Sign-in to (or sign-up for) AquaHawk to view your daily and hourly water usage. If you see continuous use throughout the night, this may be a sign of a water leak.

Watering Trees in the Summer

During the spring and summer months, don’t forget to deep water your trees as needed depending on the age of your tree, as young and mature trees have different watering needs. Keep in mind:

• Newly planted trees need to be watered two to three times per week to keep the root ball moist (typically 15 gallons per week total with 5-10 gallons per watering).
• Young, established trees (that no longer have stakes) require occasional deep watering for root development and good tree growth (two to three times a month dependent on temperatures).
• Mature trees may only require watering in the hotter summer months (typically once per month).

Drip or flood irrigation over the critical root zone (under the tree canopy) is usually the best way to water trees. Avoid spray irrigation if possible. More information on watering trees.

Weeds Can Be Composted

Got weeds popping up in your yard? No matter how invasive those weeds are (we're looking at you Bermuda grass, foxtails, star thistle and bedstraw!) or how sharp the thorns on a plant are (thistles, cactus and roses--this one is for you!), you can still place them in your organics cart. Recology Davis brings all the organic matter they collect to a professional composting facility that heats up the material and kills weed seeds, plant diseases and other pathogens.

More information on the composting facility at the Yolo County Landfill. 

Avoiding Pests and Supporting Beneficial Insects

Before you reach for a pesticide, consider how to care for your outdoor space without using harmful chemicals. Reducing pesticide use can save you money and help protect our local waterways!

One of the best ways to manage pests is to prevent them from settling in your garden in the first place. You can do this by removing things that attract pests, such as food, water and shelter. Here are some tips:

• Remove trash and yard waste – Trash and decaying plant material often attracts insects and rodents. Remove and properly dispose of any trash and place yard waste in your organics cart.
• Use physical barriers – Row covers and other plant cages can help keep pests away from sensitive young plants. Sticky barriers, copper barriers and raised beds are other options that can help protect garden plants.
• Remove standing water – Standing water can encourage the growth of mold and algae, become a nursery for insect larvae and attract unwanted animals looking for drinking water.
• Plant smart – Planting strategies, such as selecting appropriate types of plants, alternating plant patterns and adding ground cover (like mulch) can deter pests. More information about planting strategies.

If you see bugs in your garden, remember that 97% of the insects you see are considered to be “beneficial insects” because they benefit your garden by pollinating your plants, improving the soil and eating the pests that harm your garden. Here are a few tips to identify and attract beneficial insects:

• Find your garden friends –An insect can look dramatically different during each stage of its life cycle (egg, larva, pupa and adult). Visit the UC ANR IPM website to see what beneficial insects (such as bees, ladybugs, soldier beetles and green lacewings) look like throughout their life cycle.
• Plant native plants that are high in pollen and rich in nectar, you can increase the likelihood that pollinators will find your garden welcoming and stick around.

Only use pesticides as a last resort since pesticides can harm or kill beneficial bugs. Look for Our Water Our World (OWOW) “point-of-purchase” signs and fact sheets to find less-toxic products the next time you’re shopping for pest control products at the East Covell CVS, Redwood Barn Nursery or Davis Ace Hardware.

Visit Our Water Our World for more information about non-toxic pest management options. 

More resources on pesticide best practices. 

Found a Baby Bird? Here's What You Should Do

When birds are nesting, we may see more young birds out of the

nest, on the ground or in a low bush as they learn to fly and feed on their own. Does the bird need help? Not necessarily! Most young birds are perfectly fine and do not need our help. Here is some useful information on what to do when you find a young bird.

Featherless/Newly Hatched Birds (Picture A): If the bird

is not injured, locate the nest and place the young bird back inside.

Birds cannot detect your scent on their young. After you

leave, they will quickly forget your intrusion. Be sure to place the

bird in the correct nest (as parents may toss out unfamiliar babies) and out of direct sunlight.

Downy/Incompletely Feathered Birds (Picture B): These

are older birds, not quite ready to fly. Find the nest and place the

young back in it unless the bird is injured. If you cannot locate the nest or it is out of reach, the bird should be placed in wildlife care (see contact info below).

Fully Feathered Birds (Picture C): These birds are

completely feathered, can hop about and may be able to flutter or

fly short distances. Leave them alone unless they are being

attacked by a dog or cat. They should be left on the ground to be

fed and protected by their parents unless they are injured or in

imminent danger.

If a bird is sick, injured or orphaned, you can contact the Wildlife Care

Association at 916-965-9453 for assistance. If you find a dead bird, you can report it here.

More Frequently Asked Questions on Urban Wildlife and Habitat

Bulky Waste Voucher – Save the Date

The one-time bulky waste landfill voucher for 2026 was sent in the mail at the end of April. The voucher is valid from May 1 to October 31, 2026, and allows Davis residents to dispose of one free load of bulky waste at the Yolo County Central Landfill. Commercial haulers and business materials will not be accepted as part of this program. Bulky waste includes appliances, toilets, sinks, scrap metal, furniture, electronics and more.

Learn more on the bulky items webpage or on the Recology Davis bulky waste voucher page. 

Batteries Combust When Trash Trucks Crush Waste

We are seeing more and more fires breaking out in waste collection vehicles, at landfills and at recycling centers--even in our own community--due to lithium-ion batteries. Recently, a Waste Management garbage truck caught fire at the Yolo Landfill.

Lithium-ion batteries are in many items we don't even think about, from rechargeable toothbrushes to beard trimmers and even light-up party favors, batteries are everywhere, and all of them can pose a fire risk. There's no safe way to place these items in your trash bins and all batteries and devices with built-in batteries are banned from landfills. 

Lithium-ion batteries spark fires if they are cracked or damaged. Since trash collection trucks compact waste as they are emptying bins along their routes, when lithium-ion batteries are placed in the trash, they can get crushed or punctured, and even small batteries can spark, catch fire or explode as a result. These fires can damage expensive equipment, disrupt waste collection services and cause harm to our communities.

For the safety of our community, please make sure that all batteries are disposed of safely. The City of Davis and Yolo County have set up nine locations in Davis where batteries that can be removed from products can be safely recycled.

If a device has a built-in battery, do not toss it in curbside carts; instead, bring it to the Yolo County Landfill to recycle it with other electronic items. The Landfill accepts household electronic items for free recycling every day.

More information about the Yolo County Central Landfill Electronics Recycling

More information about lithium-ion battery safety

Wildlife Spotlight: Sacramento Valley Red Fox

Up until 2010, it was believed that there were only two species of red fox living in California; the native Sierra Nevada red fox (Vulpes vulpes necator), and the non-native eastern red fox (Vulpes vulpes), which populated California after escaping captivity in the 1880's, likely from fur farms. The two red fox species live in very different habitats with the Sierra Nevada red fox living high up in the mountains and the eastern red fox occupying much of southern California up through the Central Valley. It was assumed that the red foxes living in and around the City of Davis were the eastern red fox species.

In 2010, researchers looking at the DNA of red foxes living in south Davis discovered that these foxes' DNA was more closely related with the native Sierra Nevada red fox than the eastern species and now there is a new subspecies of native red fox now known as the Sacramento Valley red fox (V. v. patwin). The eastern red fox still occurs in the Sacramento Valley, but is most prevalent south of the bay-delta region.

Sacramento Valley red foxes are currently protected by state law as a Species of Special Concern. Little is currently known about their life history strategy or habitat requirements. Some recent research suggests that grasslands and dense riparian habitat are important to them. Escape cover is important for den-site security and avoiding their primary predator, the coyote. Sacramento Valley red foxes do well on the edge of urban areas where they appear to have a high tolerance to human disturbance and have access to human provided food opportunities (ex. outdoor pet feeding, backyard chickens, etc.). They are opportunistic omnivores, eating a wide range of small mammals, birds, insects, fruit and carrion. Red foxes are excellent climbers and are able to scale trees and back yard fences with ease.

Like their other red fox cousins, Sacramento Valley red foxes are mostly solitary, but family groups form annually. Males will defend a territory in which one to two females reside. Den sites are burrows dug into slopes or under woody vegetation or rock piles. The alpha female will become pregnant in late winter and five to 12 pups are born in March through May. Red fox pups require mom’s support for about six months after which they are encouraged by the adults to find new territory. 

*Photo courtesy of Tim Ranstrom

National Public Works Week

National Public Works Week runs from May 17–23, 2026. The City of Davis Public Works Utilities and Operations Department, which produces this monthly e-newsletter, performs administrative, technical, operational and maintenance activities to ensure that City-owned equipment, facilities, assets, infrastructure, contracted solid waste handling and environmental programs are managed in a manner consistent with Council approved policies and adopted goals. 

Learn more about the Public Works Utilities and Operations Department through a series of informational booklets related to department operations and programming. Keep an eye out for new guides coming soon!