Bug Squad

Bees buzzed at Cal Ag Day. So did the people.

You won't want to miss what's happening on the UC Davis campus on Saturday, May 7. It's the second annual UC Davis Bee Symposium: Keeping Bees Healthy.

They fondly call her "The Wasp Woman" in reference to her specialty. She is a recognized expert on aculeate wasps and works with some of the most difficult groups, including tiphiids and chrysidids.

If poet Gertrude Stein were alive today, she might say "A bee is a bee is a bee" instead of "a rose is a rose is a rose." Or, she might say "A fly is a fly is a fly." Oh, my.

Mosquitoes have their place. Fossil records confirm that mosquitoes existed at least 200 million years ago. Today we know that they are responsible for such diseases as malaria, yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya, West Nile and Zika. Globally, millions die of mosquito-borne diseases annually.