Bug Squad

They're good bees. You can take that to the bank! The excitement began when Martin Guerena, an integrated pest management (IPM) specialist with the City of Davis, encountered a native bee nesting site Wednesday in front of the U.S. Bank, corner of 3rd and F streets, Davis.

Beekeepers don't like their "girls" foraging in California buckeye (Aesculus californica) It's poisonous to bees.

It's sort of like "The Beauty and the Beast." Or "The Pollinator and the Pest." A gorgeous Western Tiger swallowtail (Papilio rutulus), seeking nectar from a butterfly bush, touched down and began to feed. It didn't take long for the butterfly to spot a stink bug crawling on top of the blossom.

If you've ever been "up close and personal" to a damselfly, you might have seen the water mites. Naturalist Greg Karofelas of Davis, an associate of the Bohart Museum of Entomology, has not only seen them, he has photographed them. See his truly spectacular photo below.

Oh, honey! Are you better than all the others? Make way for the Good Food Awards competition, opening July 6. This year is the second consecutive year for the honey category. Last year more than 50 beekeepers from throughout the United States entered their honey.