Bug Squad

If you don't like lima beans, not to worry. You'll probably like lima bean honey. Lima beans are a honey production crop, and this varietal is one of the six honeys to be sampled at the UC Davis Department of Entomology's free honey-tasting event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

There's no doubt about it. Bugs will rule at the 99th annual UC Davis Picnic Day this Saturday, April 20. The UC Davis Department of Entomology is planning lots of "bug" activities as part of the campuswide celebration.

If you're a research scientist studying the malaria mosquito, or interested in genomics, you'll want to attend a seminar on Wednesday, April 17 at the University of California, Davis.

Some folks call them "mosquito hawks" or "skeeter eaters" or "blood suckers." They're not. None of the above. Crane flies, in the family Tipulidae, don't prey on mosquitoes and they don't suck blood. These slender, long-legged insects remind us of runway models. Thin. Demure. Fragile.

What about those Africanized honey bees? Where are they located in California? Hollywood movie refer to them as "killer bees." Ditto, the news media.