Bug Squad

Scientists throughout the world targeted the Zika virus, transmitted by the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, at a major symposium today in Recife, Brazil, epicenter of the Zika virus outbreak.

Those blood-sucking varroa mites (Varroa destructor) are considered the No. 1 enemy of beekeepers. In powerful numbers and weakened colonies, they can overwhelm and collapse a hive. We remember seeing a varroa mite attached to a foraging honey bee one warm summer day in our pollinator garden.

So you want to learn more about almond pollination, integrated crop pollination, blue orchard bees, navel orangeworms, wildflower plantings and solarization for wildflpwer planting success. You're in luck.

A United Nations' organization today issued a global pollinator health report and the news was not good.

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.