Bug Squad

Imagine you're a tardigrade, aka water bear or moss piglet. You're microscopic but you're nearly indestructible. You can survive being heated to 304 degrees Fahrenheit or being chilled for days at -328 F. And if you're frozen for 30 years, you can still reproduce.

Medical entomologists are learning more and more about Aedes aegypti, the daytime-biting mosquito that prefers human blood. The mosquito transmits the Zika virus, currently "the" hot medical topic. But it also transmits dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya viruses. Especially dengue.

If you're anywhere near an almond orchard, you've probably heard the steady buzz. That's the soothing sound of honey bees gathering food for their colony--and in the process, pollinating almonds. The buzz is to bees what a purr is to a cat.

He lives and breathes mosquitoes. He's a medical entomologist through and through.

Make way for the new beekeepers! Or "beeks," as they fondly call themselves in the apiary industry. A short course on "Planning Ahead for Your First Hive" drew an enthusiastic group of prospective beekeepers last Saturday, Feb. 13 at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr.