Bug Squad

There's gold on them thar roses. No, not the kind of gold found during the California Gold Rush (18481855) that brought some 300,000 folks to the Golden State. These are gold eggs from the multicolored Asian beetle, Harmonia axyridis, that we found on our Sparkle-and-Shine roses last week.

"How are the bees doing this year?" That was the most commonly asked question at the California State Beekeepers' Association (CSBA) booth during the California Agriculture Day on Wednesday, March 22 on the west lawn of the State Capitol.

Congratulations, Louie Yang! The ecologist, an associate professor, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, has been named the faculty recipient of the 2017 Eleanor and Harry Walker Academic Advising Award from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CA&ES).

It was a big butterfly-and-bee day at the Bohart.

"Well, yes, I would like some aphids for dinner," said every lady beetle (aka ladybug) everywhere. With the lush green growth of spring, come aphids (the prey) and lady beetles (the predators). And now, if you look closely, you'll see clusters or rows of lady beetle eggs on your roses.