Bug Squad

Follow that buzz! When the California State Beekeepers' Association, founded in 1889, meets Nov. 18-20 in Valencia for its 2014 convention, it will mark a milestone: 125 years of beekeeping. Not so coincidentally, the theme is "Celebrating 125 Years of California Beekeeping.

Bees 'n blooms. Blooms 'n bees. Add "California" to it and you have California Bees and Blooms: A Guide for Gardeners and Naturalists. It's a book that's well-planned, well-executed, well-written and well-photographed. Bees are hungry.

A bee is a bee is a bee is a bee. 'Cept when it's a fly. Lately we've been seeing lots of images on social media (including Facebook and Twitter), news media websites, and stock photo sites of "honey bees." But they're actually flies.

The next time you see a Monarch butterfly heading your way--or settled in at an overwintering site in coastal California or in central Mexico--check to see if it's tagged.

Can you say "Bee BMP?" That's a short-cut for "Bee Best Management Practices." The Almond Board of California today unveiled its long-awaited "Honey Bee Best Management Practices for California Almonds.