Bug Squad

Doctoral candidate and forest entomologist Jackson Audley of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, targets an invasive bark beetle that's about the size of a grain of rice. The beetle? The walnut twig beetle, Pityophthorus juglandis.

Rome wasn't built in a day. But learning how to make mead? You can learn the process from "honey to the bottle all in one day" on Thursday, Jan. 23 at the University of California, Davis. Mead, the world's oldest alcoholic beverage, is a fermented blend of pure honey and water.

So you're seated at the Thanksgiving dinner table listening to what people are thankful for, what they treasure the most. The three "F's" win hands-down: family, friends and food. But "insects" should definitely added to that list.

Emily Bick does UC Davis proud, not to mention the field of entomology.

If you're having pumpkin pie or butternut squash this Thanksgiving, thank the squash bee. Squash bees are specialists (not generalists) that pollinate only the cucurbits or squash family, Cucurbitaceae, which includes pumpkins, squash, gourds, cucumbers and zucchini.