Bug Squad

There are lots of blogs out there, but not too many people blog about bugs. Fact is, bugs bug people. Birds bug bugs. Bugs bug bugs. If you've ever seen a praying mantis lying in wait for a bee or a ladybug snatching an aphid, or a dragonfly grabbing a hover fly, you know they do. Bugs bug bugs.

"How do I get started in beekeeping?" This is the time of year when scores of prospective beekeepers contact Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology for advice on beginning beekeeping.

If you want to learn more about pollinators and sustainable gardening, then you should circle March 15 on your calendar and register for the "Pollinator Gardening Workshop, Your Sustainable Backyard.

There's a heartfelt reason why Friday, Feb. 7 is "UC Davis Wears Red Day." It's about raising awareness for heart disease, the No. 1 killer of both men and women. It's a battle we need to fight with an arsenal of weapons.

One is a renowned bee scientist based in Washington state. One is a noted commercial queen bee breeder in California. One is the head of the beekeeping section, Ministry of Agriculture, Botswana government. And two are beekeepers in Bolivia. Washington, California, Botswana and Bolivia...