Bug Squad

It's time for a spray of sunshine. The golden daisy bush (genus Euryops, family Asteraeae), will do that to you. The popular perennial both brightens your garden and attracts honey bees and other insects. The name originates from "eurys," Greek for "large" and "ops," meaning eye.

"How to Attract and Maintain Pollinators in Your Garden." That's the title of a new publication by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) and what a gem this is. It's not only a gem, but it's free. You can download the publication on this site.

These freezing temperatures we're experiencing make us yearn for spring. True, it's still autumn and winter doesn't officially start until Dec. 22, but it's a good time to think of honey bees pollinating the almond blossoms. California almonds usually bloom around mid-February.

If you're looking for a cause to support, consider the Bohart Museum of Entomology at the University of California, Davis. The museum crew, led by director Lynn Kimsey, professor of entomology at UC Davis, is enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and dedicated.

In March of 2012 when we were touring The Bee Collective's Bee Sanctuary near The Domes on the UC Davis campus with beekeeper/manager Derek Downey, we remember seeing an unusual "bee hive"--a wood duck box, moved there from a rural location after swarming honey bees claimed it.