In September 2021, Extension apiculturist emeritus Eric Mussen stands by his office he's ready to vacate. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

So, "Eric has left the building."

That would be Extension apiculturist emeritus Eric Mussen, who recently "unoccupied" his hive of an office on the third floor of Briggs Hall, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. Office space is at a premium, as it is elsewhere on campus.

Mussen, a 38-year Extension apiculturist and member of the UC Davis entomology faculty, "officially" retired in 2014. But not really. He served as emeritus apiculturist in his Briggs headquarters for seven years, leaving in October 2021.

"As I walked out of the office door for the last time, it was like saying a permanent goodbye to a decades old friend," Mussen commented. "I had years of good times, a few disappointments, and no true desire to end my career.  But it was time."

For nearly four decades, Mussen wrote and published the bimonthly newsletter, from the UC Apiaries, and short, topical articles called Bee Briefs, providing beekeepers with practical information on all aspects of beekeeping.  His research focused on managing honey bees and wild bees for maximum field production, while minimizing pesticide damage to pollinator populations. His newsletter and Bee Brief collections will find their way into bound books, as will back editions of bee journals.

Mussen donated his bee books to the scientists at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility and other literature to fellow scientists in the department. 

The memories he is keeping.

During his 38-year career, Mussen was considered one of the most respected and influential professional apiculturists in the nation. He was known as "the pulse on the bee industry” and as "the go-to person" for consumers, scientists, researchers, students, and the news media.  He was often described as:

• "The premier authority on bees and pollination in California
• "A treasure to the beekeeping industry" and
• "A walking encyclopedia when it comes to honey bees."

One more box to go. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Among his scores of awards: the 2018 Founders' Award from the Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees, presented at the 75th annual American Beekeeping Federation (ABF) conference in Reno. Previous recipients of the coveted award include the husband-wife team of James and Maryann Frazier, professor and Extension apiculturist, respectively, from Pennsylvania State University, University Park; former research leader Jeff Pettis, U.S. Department of Agriculture's Beltsville (Md.) Bee Laboratory; and multi-state commercial beekeeper David Hackenberg of Hackenberg Apiaries, who sounded the alarm about colony collapse disorder (CCD) in 2007.

Mussen served as a longtime board member of the California State Beekeepers' Association (CSBA) and a consultant for the Almond Board of California. He co-founded the Western Apicultural Society (WAS), serving six terms as president, the last one during the 40th anniversary meeting at UC Davis in 2017. He also was involved in the formation of the American Association of Professional Apiculturists (AAPA) and held the offices of president or treasurer of that association for many years.

Almond Board. Mussen was instrumental in the development of the Almond Board of California's Honey Bee Best Management Practices for Almonds. The Almond Board earlier honored him with a service award, describing him as being an “authoritative and trusted source for guidance on research, technical, and practical problem solving and issues facing both industries.”

Eric Mussen holding a frame at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility on Sept. 24, 2007. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Mussen was a favorite of local, regional, state and national news media.  The outlets included  Lehrer Hour, BBC, Good Morning America,  New York Times, National Public Radio, The Boston Globe, and The Los Angeles Times,  among others.

“Eric is a worldwide authority on honey bees, but no problem is too small and no question too involved for him to answer,” said the late Extension entomologist Larry Godfrey prior to Mussen's retirement. “He devotes his research and extension activities to the improvement of honey bee health and honey bee colony management practices. Eric helps growers, consumers, UC Farm Advisors, agricultural commissioners, scientists, beekeepers, researchers, pesticide regulators, 4-H'ers, and state and national agricultural and apicultural organizations. He ignites their interest in maintaining the health of bees, cultivates their friendship, and generously gives of his time and intellect.” 

Co-Founded WAS. Mussen served as a longtime board member of the California State Beekeepers' Association (CSBA) and a consultant for the Almond Board of California. He co-founded the Western Apicultural Society (WAS), serving six terms as president, the last one during the 40th anniversary meeting at UC Davis in 2017. He also was involved in the formation of the American Association of Professional Apiculturists (AAPA) and held the offices of president or treasurer of that association for many years.

He delivered keynote addresses at the California State Beekeepers' Association (CSBA) and at the American Honey Producers' Association conventions. In addition, he held leadership roles in the CSBA, the California Bee Breeders' Association, California Farm Bureau Federation, American Honey Producers' Association, National Honey Board, American Beekeeping Federation, and the Northern California Entomology Society, among others. He represented UC Davis on the California State Apiary Board, and continues to offer input to the California Department of Food and Agriculture on various bee matters. 

Eric Mussen by the apiary at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, UC Davis, on Aug. 24, 2010. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Highly honored by his peers, Mussen received the 2006 California Beekeeper of the Year award, the American Association of Professional Apiculturists' 2007 Award of Excellence in Extension Apiculture, the 2008 Distinguished Achievement Award in Extension from the Pacific Branch of the Entomological Society of America; the 2010 statewide Pedro Ilic Outstanding Agricultural Educator, and was a member of the UC Davis Bee Team that won the 2013 team award from the Pacific Branch of the Entomological Society of America.

Outstanding Extension. His other awards include the 2013 Alexander Hodson Graduate Alumni Award from the University of Minnesota; and the 2014 Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Extension from the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR).

As Extension apiculturist, Mussen served on various committees and task forces of state and national organizations, reviewed numerous manuscripts for journals; reviewed annual research proposals to the California State Beekeepers' Association, the Almond Board of California, and the National Honey Board; and reviewed Small Business Innovation Research applications at the federal level. He assisted U.S. beekeepers in writing letters to receive compensation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for their colony collapse disorder (CCD) bee losses.  

Eric Mussen, circa 1979.

Elina Lastro Niño, known internationally for her expertise on honey bee queen biology, chemical ecology, and genomics, succeeds Mussen as Extension apiculturist. She joined the faculty in September of 2014 and maintains laboratories and offices in Briggs Hall and at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility. 

Native of New York. A native of Schenectady, N.Y., Mussen credits his grandfather with sparking his interest in insects. His grandfather, a self-taught naturalist, would take his young grandson to the woods to point out flora and fauna. As a child, “my only concern was what if, by the time I went to college and became an entomologist, everything we wanted to know about insects was known,” Mussen related.

Mussen turned down a football scholarship at Harvard to attend the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he obtained his bachelor's degree in entomology. That's also where he would meet his future wife, Helen.

Eric went on to obtain his master's degree and doctorate in entomology from the University of Minnesota, St. Paul. His doctoral research focused on the epidemiology of a viral disease of larval honey bees, sacbrood virus. 

Fast track--or fast beeline--to today.  Eric and Helen continue to reside in their home in Davis (email ecmussen@ucdavis.edu) and enjoy the "bees-e-ness" of life with friends and family, who include two sons and two grandchildren. 

The memories of his 38-year career, however, remain strong, like the bee colonies he treasured.

"As I walked out of the office door for the last time, it was like saying a permanent goodbye to a decades old friend," Mussen reiterated. "But it was time."

A monarch butterfly takes flight, lifting off from a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Early in his career, the late heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali (1942-2016) drew international headlines  when he uttered that remark before his 1964 fight with then champion Sonny Liston.

It was all over by the seventh round when "The Greatest" emerged victorious. But his comment regarding butterfly and bee behavior lives on.

Would an entomologist say "Float like Lepidoptera, Sting Like Hymenoptera?"

That begs the question--were any bug people ever champion boxers?  

Yes, the late James H. Oliver Jr. (1931-2018) was a Golden Gloves champion.

Two years before Oliver died,  entomologist Marlin Rice, a past president of the Entomological Society of America, interviewed him for American Entomologist (Volume 62, Issue 4, Winter 2016), pointing out: "James H. Oliver, Jr. is Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Biology Emeritus at Georgia Southern University and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Oliver is widely recognized as an international expert in medical entomology and acarology, especially the biology and cytogenetics of pathogen-transmitting ticks and parasitic mites."

And Oliver was a Golden Gloves state champion.

Rice asked him a series of questions, including:

"Were you a good student?"

Oliver: "No, not very. I was a good school athlete and party guy. [Laughs.]

You went into boxing at the University of Georgia? Were you a good boxer?

Oliver: "Yeah. I won the state championship in my weight—the Golden Gloves."

Did you ever get knocked out boxing?

Oliver: "No."

Did you ever knock out an opponent?

Oliver: Yeah. [Laughs.]

What's the quickest round you ever won?

Oliver: "Probably second or third round. I was so good at it because I was in good physical condition—great physical condition. I had a coach that said the one's that's in the best physical condition and can keep his left jab going all the time and don't try for a knockout—just hammer him [would win]. It was very good advice, because after the second round my opponent would usually get arm weary and I'd block him by keeping my hands up. That's how I won most of my fights, out of pure physical condition, and I was coordinated and fast. So then I found what I wanted to do; I'm not going to be a veterinarian, I'm going to be a boxer—a professional boxer! Well, that wasn't well thought out. [Laughs.] My brother, and he was always a scholar, said, “My god, you can't do that. You're going to have a brain concussion!” “Yeah, but I'm quick.” I was finally talked into not doing that and leaving the University of Georgia. I went to Georgia Southern 'cause it was only 50 miles away from home and I liked teaching as well. So I'll become a high school biology teacher and coach. That was my goal for several years until I decided I don't want to do that." (Read the entire interview here.)

So, yes, at least one entomologist was a boxing champion. Another professional boxer went into pest control following his retirement.  Mike "Irish Mike" Jameson fought the likes of Mike Tyson, George Foreman, Evander Holyfield and  Randall “Tex” Cobbs  before fighting bugs, landing a job as a pest control inspector with Clark Pest Control, Lodi, Calif., according to a feature story on pctonline.com.)

Did they ever say "Float like Lepidoptera,  sting like Hymenoptera?"

Well, maybe they said "flutter" instead of "float?"   

Honey bees--and one yellow jacket--visiting a "watering hole." (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

People are keeping cool--or trying to--in their homes, workplaces or in newly opened community cooling centers.

Can you imagine what it's like for a honey bee colony? The normal brood-nest temperatures should be about 93 to 94 degrees, according to Norm Gary, UC Davis emeritus professor of entomology.

In his book, The Honey Bee Hobbyist: The Care and Keeping of Bees, Gary  explains that "bee colonies require small quantities of water--up to around 7 ounces per day--but the water they collect is vital to their survival. During periods of hot weather, bees evaporate tiny droplets of water in the hive to control the internal colony temperature. Maintenance of internal colony humidity is important to developing larvae. In addition, nurse bees use water to reconstitute honey to nectarlike consistency when feeding larvae."

We remember Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen (now emeritus) of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, telling beekeeping associations to "always provide fresh water for your bees on your property. Otherwise, they will visit the neighbor's hanging laundry, bird bath, swamp cooler, dog dish, leaky hose connection, etc."


In his book, The Backyard Beekeeper: An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Keeping Bees in Your Yard and Garden, Kim Flottum, then editor of Bee Culture magazine, points out that "A summer colony needs at least a quart (liter) of water every day, and even more when it's warm."

 "Water is used to dissolve crystallized honey, to dilute honey when producing larval food, for evaporation cooling during warm weather, and for a cool drink on a hot day," Flottum writes in his book.

Some folks add stepping stones or corks in water fountains, bird baths or ponds to assist the bees in their water-collecting endeavors. Usually, though, bees simply stand at the water's edge.

"Probably the most successful homemade water feeder design," Gary says, "is an inclined board that allows water to trickle down slowly into a catch basin so that it can be recirculated."

Eric Mussen, emeritus Extension apiculturist (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Back in 2010, Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen (now emeritus) and yours truly of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology) decided that "The 12 Days of Christmas" ought to be replaced with insects.

Why not? "Entomology" means "insect science," and it's the holiday season so why not change "five gold rings" to "five golden bees?" And add some other insects and pests, as well.

Note that the original "Twelve Days of Christmas," published in 1780, features no insects.  Zero. Zilch. Nada. Just a partridge in a  pear tree, 2 turtle doves, 3 French hens, 4 calling birds, 5 gold rings, 6 geese-a-laying, 7 swans-a-swimming, 8 maids a'milking, 9 ladies dancing, 10 lords-a-leaping, and 11 pipers piping.

Didn't seem fair.

So "five gold rings" became "five golden bees." Mussen sang the innovative song at the department's holiday party. The lyrics went viral when U.S. News picked it up:

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a psyllid in a pear tree.

On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, 2 tortoises beetles and a psyllid in a pear tree

On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, 3 French flies, 2 tortoise beetles and a psyllid in a pear tree

On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, 4 calling cicadas, 3 French flies, 2 tortoise beetles and a psyllid in a pear tree

On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 5 golden bees, 4 calling cicadas, 3 French flies, 2 tortoise beetles and a psyllid in a pear tree

On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 6 lice a'laying, 5 golden bees, 4 calling cicadas, 3 French flies, 2 tortoise beetles and a psyllid in a pear tree

On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 7 boatmen swimming, 6 lice a'laying, 5 golden bees, 4 calling cicadas, 3 French flies, 2 tortoise beetles and a psyllid in a pear tree

On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 8 ants a'milking aphids, 7 boatmen swimming, 6 lice a'laying, 5 golden bees, 4 calling cicadas, 3 French flies, 2 tortoise beetles and a psyllid in a pear tree

On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 9 mayflies dancing, 8 ants a'milking aphids, 7 boatmen swimming, 6 lice a'laying, 5 golden bees, 4 calling cicadas, 3 French flies, 2 tortoise beetles and a psyllid in a pear tree

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 10 locusts leaping, 9 mayflies dancing,  8 ants a'milking aphids, 7 boatmen swimming, 6 lice a'laying, 5 golden bees, 4 calling cicadas, 3 French flies, 2 tortoise beetles and a psyllid in a pear tree

On the 11th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 11 queen bees piping, 10 locusts leaping, 9 mayflies dancing, 8 ants a'milking aphids, 7 boatmen swimming, 6 lice a'laying, 5 golden bees, 4 calling cicadas, 3 French flies, 2 tortoise beetles and a psyllid in a pear tree

On the 12th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 12 deathwatch beetles drumming, 11 queen bees piping, 10 locusts leaping, 9 mayflies dancing, 8 ants a'milking aphids, 7 boatmen swimming, 6 lice a'laying, 5 golden bees, 4 calling cicadas, 3 French flies, 2 tortoise beetles and a psyllid in a pear tree

"On the 13th day of Christmas, Californians woke to see:

 13 Kaphra beetles, 
12 Diaprepes weevils, 
11 citrus psyllids, 
10 Tropilaelaps clareae, 
9 melon fruit flies, 8 Aedes aegypti, 7 ash tree borers, 6 
six spotted-wing Drosophila, 5 
five gypsy moths, 4 Japanese beetles, 3 imported fire ants, 2 brown apple moths, and a medfly in a pear tree."

Today the song is still making the rounds, but with some different pests--pests that challenge the entomologists in the California Department of Food and Agriculture:

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a psyllid in a pear tree.
One the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, two peach fruit flies
On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, three false codling moths
On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, four peach fruit flies
On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, five gypsy moths
On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, six white striped fruit flies
On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, seven imported fire ants
On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, eight longhorn beetles
On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, nine melon fruit flies
On the 10th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, ten brown apple moths
On the 11th  day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, eleven citrus psyllids
On the 12th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, twelve guava fruit flies.
On the 13th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, thirteen Japanese beetles

And, then, of course, there's that pesty Varroa destructor (varroa mite), known as the No. 1 enemy of beekeepers. This external parasitic mite not only sucks  a bee's lifeblood, but can transmit as many as five bee debilitating viruses. A native of Asia, the varroa mite arrived in the United States in 1987 and is now found throughout much of the world, wreaking havoc with bee colonies.