Bug Squad

If you're addicted to monarchs--and lament that they're overwintering in coastal California and in central Mexico and nowhere near you--no worries.

What a Thanksgiving surprise! No, the stuffed turkey didn't slip out of the oven and fall on the floor. Nor did the pumpkin pie turn another shade of orange. Some unexpected guests arrived--four to be exact.

It's Thanksgiving. Count your blessings--and thank the bees. If your table includes pumpkin, cranberries, carrots, cucumbers, onions, apples, oranges, cherries, blueberries, grapefruit, persimmons, pomegranates, pears, sunflower seeds, and almonds, thank the bees for their pollination services.

Oh, if we could just engage in some menu planning and preparation! How often have you thought of that after watching praying mantids dine on honey bees, bumble bees, monarchs, Western tiger swallowtails and other beneficial insects? "Please don't eat the pollinators!" I plead, tongue in cheek.

They learned about sawtoothed grain beetles, carpet beetles and other pantry pests. They learned about walking sticks, Madagascar hissing cockroaches, tarantulas and praying mantids--all residents of the live petting zoo.