- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
So says Scott McArt, an assistant professor in the Cornell University's Department of Entomology, who will speak on "Pesticide Risk to Pollinators: What We Know and What We Need to Know Better" at the Wednesday, May 4 virtual seminar hosted by the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.
The seminar begins at 4:10 p.m. The Zoom link:
https://ucdavis.zoom.us/j/99515291076
McArt, who joined the Cornell faculty in 2017, focuses his research on pollinator health and ecology. His areas of expertise include disease ecology, ecotoxicology, community ecology, chemical ecology, and plant-pollinator interactions. He maintains his lab research site at https://blogs.cornell.edu/mcartlab/.
"Research in our lab focuses on the impact of pesticides, pathogens, and habitat on honey bees and wild bees," he writes on his website. "We are particularly interested in scientific research that can inform management decisions by beekeepers, growers and the public. Current research projects include: 1) Understanding pesticide exposure and risk to bees in multiple land management contexts, 2) Combining empirical data with network modeling to understand pathogen transmission in complex plant-pollinator networks, and 3) Understanding how habitat enhancements (e.g., flowers at solar power sites) impact pollinator populations and the services they provide to agriculture."
McArt's duties at Cornell also include director of the Cornell Chemical Ecology Core Facility, and associate curator of the Cornell University Insect Collection.
He writes a monthly column, Notes from the Lab, in American Bee Journal; each month he summarizes scientific publications for a non-scientific audience. "The goal is to make the emerging pollinator health science more approachable and relevant to beekeepers," he says.
He is also a member of the New York State (NYS) Beekeeper Tech Team, which works directly with NYS beekeepers to improve honey bee health, reduce colony losses, and increase profitability of the state's beekeeping industry: https://pollinator.cals.cornell.edu/nys-beekeeper-tech-team/
In addition, McArt coordinates such beekeeping workshops as "Introduction to Honey Bee Queen Rearing" and "Honey Bee Biology and Disease Management for Veterinarians" and engages with growers regarding pesticide risk to bees and creating pollinator-friendly habitat. His extension materials are onsite.
When asked "What gets you out of bed in the morning?" during a new faculty interview, he responded "Most of the factors contributing to declines in bee health (pesticide exposure, lack of floral resources, disease, inadequate management practices) are preventable. With targeted research efforts and educated stakeholders, regulatory agencies and public, we can make a difference."
McArt holds a bachelor of arts degree in environmental and evolutionary biology (2001) from Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H., and a master's degree in biological sciences (2006) from the University of Alaska, Anchorage. He received his doctorate in entomology in 2012 from Cornell University. He served as a USDA-NIFA (National Institute of Food and Agriculture) postdoctoral fellow at the University of Massachusetts, Amhurst, in 2014, and then as a research scientist at Cornell from 2014 to 2017, before joining the Cornell faculty.
Nematologist Shahid Siddique, assistant professor, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, is coordinating the spring seminars. For Zoom technical issues, contact him at ssiddique@ucdavis.edu.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Folks will do just about anything to remove cockroaches from their homes, but when it comes to UC Davis Picnic Day, you can't remove people from them.
Nor would UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology want that. Roach Races are an integral part of Picnic Day.
Hundreds of cheering fans showed up at Briggs Hall for the department's Roach Races, held Saturday, April 23 during the 108th annual UC Davis Picnic Day.
Entomology students organized and directed the races, but the real heroes and heroines were the American roaches, reared by UC Davis entomologists and ready to run.
Spectators applauded them wildly, but gasped when a few of the two-inch insects tried to escape into the crowd.
Cockroaches, which belong to the order Blattodea, are primarily nocturnal and “have a tendency to scatter when disturbed,” according to the UC Statewide Integated Pest Management Program (UC IPM).
That they did during the Roach Races.
“There are five species of cockroaches in California that are commonly regarded as pests: German cockroach, brownbanded cockroach, oriental cockroach, American cockroach, and Turkestan cockroach," according to UC IPM. "Indoor cockroaches are known as significant pests of public health, and outdoor species that find their way inside are considered serious nuisance pests as well as potential public health pests. Most cockroaches harbor within moist, dark crevices when not foraging for food. They crawl quickly and may climb rough surfaces. A few species can fly short distances or glide as adults during warm nights, but most have no wings, reduced wings, or otherwise do not fly."
UC IPM says that "Indoor infestations of cockroaches are also important sources of allergens and have been identified as risk factors for development of asthma in children, especially within multi-unit housing environments. The levels of allergens present have been directly correlated to both cockroach density and the conditions that contribute to heavy infestations, such as housing disrepair and poor sanitary conditions.”
Sometimes youngsters participating in Maggot Art, another insect-activity hosted by the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology during Picnic Day, get so attached to the maggots creating art for them that they ask to take them home.
Not so with the UC Davis Roach Races. Not a single person--not a single one--asked to take one home.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
The UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, showcased forest, medical and agricultural entomology.
Visitors, from senior citizens to toddlers, crowded into Room 122 to see forest beetles, maggots, lady beetles (aka ladybugs), pipevine swallowtail caterpillars and more. They checked out the butterfly specimen displays, ant posters, entomological gear, and a huge sculpture of a praying mantis that appeared ready to pounce.
Doctoral candidate Danielle Rutkowski of the Graduate Student Entomology Association and forensic entomologist Robert "Bob" Kimsey of the faculty organized the event.
"The crowds were incredible!" Rutkowski said. "I think I read that there were about 70,000 attendees, and we had such a great turnout at all our exhibits. Roach Races was as popular as ever, and Maggot Art drew some pretty big crowds as well! The Roach Races took place at the entrance to Briggs (photos coming), while the Maggot Art (see April 25 Bug Squad blog), drew crowds in the Green Hall courtyard.
"We showed off pests that can be problematic, both in agricultural fields and in home gardens," said Cooperative Extension specialist and agricultural entomologist Ian Grettenberger of the Department of Entomology and Nematology. "We were highlighting how pests can damage the food we'd like to eat and growers need to grow. At the same time, we also wanted to highlight biological control and the natural enemies out there that can help manage pests."
Entomology enthusiasts took scores of images, particularly of the pipevine swallowtail caterpillars being displayed by graduate student Grace Horne of the laboratory of Emily Meineke, assistant professor of urban landscape entomology. T Caterpillar Biology promises to return next year.
Three-year-old Connor Lemcke of Davis watched in fascination. "He loves bugs," said his mother Coreen Lemke, a 2009 UC Davis alumna who majored in art communication and education.
Some excerpts from the historical document, posted on the website:
"The very first record of entomology being taught at Davis occurred when Professor C. W. Woodworth (from UC Berkeley) spoke to the State Farmers' Institute on Oct. 30, 1907 at Davisville on the "Whitefly Situation in California." This was a forerunner to the Farmers' Short Courses (three to six week courses) which began in the fall of 1908. Professor Woodworth was in charge of the lectures in entomology and assisted by Earl L. Morris, W. H. Volck, and J. S. Hunger—all these individuals commuted to Davis. General lectures on Introductory Entomology, Horticultural Pests, and Pest Control, were given regularly between 1908-1912. In 1912 and 1914 H. J. Quayle also contributed special lectures on crop pests and their control."
Revered Tradition. Everything comes together during the annual UC Davis Picnic Day, billed as "one of UC Davis' most revered traditions and serves as the university's annual Open House for prospective and current students, families, alumni, staff, faculty, and the greater Davis and regional communities," according to the website.
This year officials selected the theme, Rediscovering Tomorrow, "because right now, everyone has the opportunity to rediscover what their future holds," the website points out. "Our campus continues to embrace this opportunity while bringing our UC Davis community back in person. With the first in-person Picnic Day in nearly three years, every attendee can experience Picnic Day with fresh eyes and rediscover their tomorrow at the event."
They did indeed. Those in Room 122 of Briggs Hall discovered--or rediscovered--insects involved in forest, medical and agricultural entomology.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Would you like to be an egg, a larva, a pupa or a fly?
That was the question that awaited entomology enthusiasts who descended on Briggs Hall during the 108th annual UC Davis Picnic Day on Saturday, April 23.
It was a cardboard cutout...well, actually a wood cutout--that drew them to the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology display.
Jordan King, a UC Davis student majoring in mechanical engineering, and Noel Bresson, an art and history major, stepped right up. Jordan became a larva, and Noel, a fly.
Everyone around smiled.
It's good to be a fly and a larva.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
The UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology's exhibits at Briggs Hall during the annual UC Davis Picnic Day wouldn't be complete without the Fly Fishers of Davis.
To the delight of wide-eyed youngsters, the anglers demonstrate the intricate art of fly tying, and then gift the finished product to them.
Veteran fly fisherman Paul Berliner, participating in the 108th annual UC Davis Picnic Day, held Saturday, April 23, asked Ella Eich, 6, of Davis if she'd like to have a fly tied for her.
She wasn't sure at first.
"I didn't think she was going to do it until she saw the color pink," he related. "That did it!"
Ella watched him create it, and beamed when he handed it to her. It's now her treasure.
The Fly Fishers of Davis (FFD) is comprised of some 100 members and it's based in Davis. "Our charter is to promote the art of fly-fishing and to protect our natural resources and fisheries through community education and conservation," according to the website. FFD is an affiliate of the Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF), an international non-profit organization and its Northern California Council (NCCFFF). Our meetings and membership are open to the public, and we provide equal opportunity membership without discrimination on sex, race, origin, age or religious orientation."
Last year, due to the cancellation of the UC Davis Picnic Day, many organizations went virtual with presentations. The Fly Fishers created a video (click here), narrated by Berliner that won a second-place award in the Blue and Gold category, spotlighting health, recreation and athletics.)
The Fly Fisher meetings, open to the public, are held the last Tuesday of each month, with a social at 7 and the general meeting at 7:30. (See website for details). All members receive the club's monthly newsletter, “The Fisherman's Line.” See the Newsletters for the current edition and back editions. Yearly dues for adults and families are $30 per year. Yearly dues for students are $15 per year.
Outings take them to such venues as Pyramid Lake, Lake Berryessa, McCloud River, Lake Davis and Trinity River and more.
And then there's the annual UC Davis Picnic Day where the anglers demonstrate the art of fly tying and answer a myriad of questions.
Let's go fishing!
