Bug Squad

Those jumping spiders certainly can jump. Last summer we spotted what appeared to be the red-backed jumping spider, Phidippus johnsoni (famiiy Salticidae), stalking native bees and honey bees in our yard.

Almond pollination season in California traditionally begins around Valentine's Day. This year, however, thanks to the unseasonably warm weather, almond trees began blooming in late January in some parts of Central California. Take the city of Benicia.

They're hairy. They're bristly. They're attention-getters. They probably draw more "yecchs!" than most insects. All the more reason to love 'em. Frankly, the tachinids (family Tachinidae, order Diptera) could never be misidentified as honey bees, as some pollinators such as hover flies, are.

A "she bee" on a hebe. That has a nice ring to it. It was Jan. 7, an unseasonably warm day for winter and we decided to take advantage of it by driving to the Loch Lomond Marina in San Rafael.

It's good to see the growing number of seminars, lectures and workshops on pollinators. The more we know about our pollinators, the better we'll be able to protect and sustain them.