Fleas can be found on pets year-round, but populations tend to increase dramatically in spring and summer when temperatures are warmer. Larvae develop rapidly in areas where temperatures reach 70° to 90°F. Fleas are a major concern for pet owners as they can give dogs and cats tapeworms, but they can also transmit flea-borne typhus to people and spread plague to wild animals like ground squirrels. These blood-sucking pests can be introduced to backyards from feral cats, squirrels, opossums, and other wildlife.
To learn more about fleas, the diseases they can spread, and their management, check out the recording of UC IPM's Urban & Community IPM Webinar from June 2024 at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-w7J6mkTeM. You'll hear from flea expert Dr. Laura Krueger of the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District on how you can protect yourself and pets from fleas.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Photographers call the first hour after dawn and the last hour before dusk "The Golden Hour."
That's when the sunlight is softer and warmer.
It's also called "The Magic Hour."
Compare that to high noon, when the sun casts such strong highlights and shadows on the subject that even images of Miss Universe and Miss America look harsh.
Now if you photograph a golden honey bee during The Golden Hour, the world looks even warmer and softer.
But use the term, Golden Hour, figuratively. As Wikipedia explains: "The term hour is used figuratively; the effect has no clearly defined duration and varies according to season and latitude. The character of the lighting is determined by the sun's altitude, and the time for the sun to move from the horizon to a specified altitude depends on a location's latitude and the time of year. In Los Angeles, California, at an hour after sunrise or an hour before sunset, the sun has an altitude of about 10–12°. For a location closer to the Equator, the same altitude is reached in less than an hour, and for a location farther from the equator, the altitude is reached in more than one hour. For a location sufficiently far from the equator, the sun may not reach an altitude of 10°, and the golden hour lasts for the entire day in certain seasons."
The honey bee (below), foraging on a blanket flower, Gaillardia, couldn't discuss Golden Hours, seasons, latitude and longitude with you. But she knows how to return to her colony (which could be five miles away) and how to communicate with the other bees. And that, too, is Golden.
![A honey bee foraging on Gaillardia during The Golden Hour in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) A honey bee foraging on Gaillardia during The Golden Hour in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/108306.jpg)
With childhood obesity on the rise, research in early life dietary habits are essential to promoting long-term health in children. The current recommendation is for children to drink whole milk from ages 1-2 years, then drink low-fat 1% or non-fat 0% milk. However, there is limited research to support this recommendation. Milk Type in Toddlers—also known as Milk-TOT—is a study being conducted by the Nutrition Policy Institute in partnership with Stanford University and funded by the National Institute of Health. In this randomized control trial, toddlers ages 18-30 months, in the San Francisco Bay Area, will receive whole or low-fat 1% milk for one year through grocery delivery. Their height, weight, waist circumference, diet, and other health markers will be measured throughout the study. Parents will also receive nutrition guidance from a registered dietitian. This study aims to reduce childhood obesity by improving nutrition recommendations and creating long-term healthy eating habits. If your child is healthy and between the ages of 18-30 months they may be eligible for participation. To determine eligibility please fill out this survey. For more information or questions email milktotstsudy@ucanr.edu or call 510-987-9023.
- Author: Ben A Faber
It is unfortunate that we allow the passing of individuals without recognizing their contributions. B. O. Bergh was an important part of the avocado industry and his passing should surely be noted. Below is his obituary:
Berthold Bergh Obituary
Berthold (Bob) Orphie Bergh January 30, 1925 - July 14, 2021 The family of Dr. Bob Bergh is deeply saddened to have to tell of the death of their husband, father, grandfather, uncle, brother, and brother-in-law. This brilliant, witty, exuberant, uproarious and completely lovable man was born the fourth of seven children, to Mina (Grambo) Bergh and Ingvald Bergh, in Domremy, Saskatchewan, Canada, on January 30, 1925. He was premature, and his mom (a nurse) kept him warm in that cold Saskatchewan weather, she told us, by putting him in a cosily lined shoe box, and setting it on the open oven door! When he was six years old, his family moved to a homestead at Chelan, SK, where they definitely lived the pioneer life. Because Chelan School offered education up to grade 11 only, he returned to Domremy and lived with his Uncle Palmer and Aunt Alice while he took grade 12. A lovely red-head was also living and working in this home, so this is where Gwen and Bob met. Following grade 12 he returned to Chelan, enlisted in the military, and in 1944 went overseas to England. His military superiors recognized him as no ordinary man, and decided they needed him as a clerk. So he spent the war years answering correspondence, keeping records, ordering supplies, working with the archives, dealing with soldiers' uniforms and furloughs. He was singled out for special honor during his Army career when Stroma Sinclair, daughter of the Duke of Portland, asked for a "nice young Canadian boy" to spend his furloughs with her in the ancestral home, Dunbeath Castle in Scotland. This was a wonderful gift to Bob, and they remained friends and in touch until her death. Suddenly the war ended and Bobby and hundreds of thousands of young Canadians returned home. He and Gwen were married in Saron Lutheran Church, Hagen, SK. on September 17, 1948. After earning his Bachelor of Agriculture degree from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, he and Gwen moved first to Columbus, Ohio, where he received his Masters Degree in Horticulture. Then it was off to Berkeley, CA, where he earned his PhD in Genetics. With no job prospects in Canada at that time for a Doctorate in Genetics, he and Gwen made the decision to stay in the USA, where he was offered a professorship at the University of California at Riverside. Here he had an illustrious career---he won the Distinguished Teacher Award several times, both for his teaching skills as well as for the rapport he had with his students. Word of this phenomenal man spread among the student body, and the high enrollment in his Genetics class often necessitated arranging for larger classrooms. Gwen has told us that long after he retired he continued to receive calls from ex-students around the world, often asking for advice on personal and spiritual matters. Bobby was a great man of faith. His research area was avocados, and for many years he had a world-wide reputation as the leading authority on the avocado. He was frequently seconded to other avocado-growing nations, including Israel, New Zealand, and Kenya. Gwen often accompanied him on these travels, and they made many friends around the globe. Bob developed a new, improved variety of avocado, named after his wife, Gwen. An offspring of the "Gwen" is marketed as the "GEM" avocado. Bob and Gwen adopted two children: Linda in 1959, and Robert in 1960. These two were loved passionately and forever! Over the years Bob and Gwen have made many trips back to Saskatchewan to see their families. And over the years they have hosted so many of us, (both Bob's family and Gwen's), to delightful California winter holidays. Bob and Gwen loved their adopted country and their many friends in the USA. Bob's extraordinary compassion, generosity and larger-than-life-presence made the world a better place. Bob was predeceased by his parents, four siblings, and numerous other relatives and friends. He is survived by his wife Gwen; his daughter, Linda Sanborn, granddaughter, Heather and grandson BJ; son Robert Bergh, grandson Justin and granddaughter Katie; two sisters, Ione Peters and Shirley Kasdorf; 7 sisters-in-law, and 7 brothers-in-law. A memorial service will be held in Hope Lutheran Church (2882 Arlington Ave., Riverside, CA) on August 19 at 1 pm. Memorial donations may be made to Hope Lutheran Church. Or plant a tree in his memory--he would like that! The Nautilus Society 16316 Hawthorne Blvd Lawndale, CA 90260 310-370-8080
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Published by The Press-Enterprise on Aug. 1, 2021. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/pressenterprise/name/berthold-bergh-obituary?id=14216300
Bob Bergh had a vision for a better ‘Hass' and worked assiduously towards this goal. The fruits of his labor are still coming mature. Aside from the 'GEM', he was also fundamental in developing the ‘Lamb Hass' and ‘Luna' varieties and helping to build the world-wide avocado industry. He was a grand man.
![Bob bergh Bob bergh](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/108181.jpg)