Bug Squad

I'm just a little ol' honey bee foraging on lavender. I left my warm colony in Vacaville, Calif. to see if there's any nectar out there. My sisters are hungry. I'm not sure if we have enough honey to tide us over until spring.

When plant and insect enthusiast Ria de Grassi discovered caterpillars on her firecracker plant, Russelia equisetiformis, last July 10 in her yard in Davis, Calif., she asked noted butterfly authority Art Shapiro, UC Davis distinguished professor of evolution and ecology, to identify them.

Want to bee-come a beekeeper and learn the ABC's of taking care of colonies? Think "A" for apiary; "B" for bees; and "C" for colonies. Here's how to join the ranks of California's estimated 11,000 backyard and small-scale beekeepers.

Oh, how much this is needed! Congratulations to the California Master Beekeeper Program, the newly announced recipient of a $199,949 grant from the UC Agricultural and Natural Resources through its 2017 Competitive Grants Program.

Time is ticking...