Bug Squad

The rain that pounded Northern California on Oct. 18--complete with thunder and lightening--also drenched a few honey bees that waited out the storm.

It's delightful to see the gray hairstreak. We're not talking about the gray streaks in our hair as we age (to perfection, of course!). We're talking about the gray hairstreak, a common gray butterfly found throughout the United States, coast to coast, as well as parts of Canada and Mexico.

Oh, the joys of rearing monarch butterflies. Not for commercial purposes. For conservation purposes. For a couple of months now, we've been watching the monarch caterpillars slowly disappearing from our milkweed plants. We'd see fifth instar 'cats one day, and the next day, they'd be gone.

Everyone from scientists to environmentalists to beekeepers are clamoring for more research on the effects of neonicotinoids on honey bees.

Everyone's talking about the drones. You know, the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Those flying robots cruising over our heads--some with cameras for journalistic and research purposes and others with "need-to-know" purposes.