Bug Squad

Let me tell you 'bout the birds and the bees And the flowers and the trees... The Birds and the Bees (music and lyrics by Herb Newman) Don't know about "the birds and the flowers and the trees," but the bees were definitely there. Lots of bees. More than 250,000.

The next time you enjoy a bowl of steamed rice, thank the California rice industry. And a University of California Cooperative Extension Team.

It wasn't too surprising. Reuters posted a story online today about flies spreading drug-resistant "superbugs" from chicken droppings.

A honey bee exhibit at the 133rd annual Dixon May Fair featuring Cooperative Extension Apiculturist Eric Mussen has just won a top regional honor. The exhibit, housed appropriately in the floriculture building, won second place in the Western Fairs Associations non-competitive exhibit category.

The BBC this week examined colony collapse disorder (CCD), a mysterious phenomonen characterized by bees abandoning their hives. The adult bees buzz off, leaving the brood and stored food behind. They do not return.