Bug Squad

Tame that tiger. Wilton beekeeper Brian Fishback, president of the Sacramento Area Beekeepers' Association, stopped Friday at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, UC Davis, and a friendly Western tiger swallowtail greeted him. At least, it seemed quite friendly.

Varroa mites, those blood-sucking little parasites that are major pests of honey bee colonies, can decimate and destroy a colony if left unchecked. One way that beekeepers monitor their hives for mite infestation is "the sugar shake.

Carpenter bees, which to the uninitiated look like bumble bees, are nice to have around the garden. Maybe not so nice to have around your untreated patio or fences (as they drill holls in them to make their nests) but just think of them as pollinators, not pests.

If Franklin's bumble bee were a human, you might think it part of the Federal Witness Protection Program. That's because it's rarely seen. Its narrow distribution range covers parts of southern Oregon (Jackson, Douglas and Josephine counties) and northern California (Siskiyou and Trinity counties).

It's not red but it definitely rocks. It rocks because it's drought-tolerant and it rocks when honey bees and bumble bees visit it. And it's pretty. The Penstemon x Mexicali "Red Rocks" is a white-throated cherry-pink flower.