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May 2025Archived
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This wasp mimic is actually a fly, genus Ceriana. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

Quit Mimicking Me!

September 8, 2014
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Last weekend a little critter made its first-ever appearance in our family bee garden. It was neither a grand entrance nor a grand insect. "A fly!" I thought, as I looked at its knoblike bristle or arista on the end of each antenna.
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image 24546
IGIS: Article

New VTM reshot, from Tim Hanson

September 8, 2014
By Maggi Kelly
This one from Tim Hanson. The caption from the photos (286747. 286748, 286749, 286750) reads: "Butte County. Panorama looking SW, S. SE and E from Neal Road. Note Juniperus californica in ravine.
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A honey bee foraging on a zinnia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

Better Statistics for the Bees

September 5, 2014
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
The bees. What about the bees? How are they doing? Better, says retired Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, who today published the last edition of his newsletter, from the UC Apiaries.
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rain gauge
Topics in Subtropics: Article

El Nino

September 5, 2014
By Ben A Faber
By way of the San Francisco Chronicle Hopes of an almighty El Nio bringing rain to a drought-stricken California - with its fallow fields, depleted streams and parched lawns - were further dashed Thursday.
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Male European wool carder bee heads for a foxglove. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

Those Foxy Wool Carder Bees

September 4, 2014
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Foxgloves, meet the European wool carder bee. European wool carder bee, meet the foxgloves. It's like "old home week" when these two get together. The plant (Digitalis purpurea) and the bee (Anthidium manicatum) are both native to Europe.
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IMG 1760
Topics in Subtropics: Article

Bagrada bug now on Avocado

September 4, 2014
By Ben A Faber
Just when you thought we knew all the devastating pests of avocado, along comes another one, this showing up in the Piru area of Ventura County - bagrada bug. The infestation is in huge numbers covering the stems and leaves of the tree, leaving fecal droppings on the backsides of leaves.
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Praying mantis stretches in the African blue basil. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

How to Train Your Praying Mantis

September 3, 2014
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
We've trained puppies to "come," "sit" and "heel." We've trained an African grey parrot to say "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty! Meow!" We've trained the kitty to ignore the parrot. But how do you train a praying mantis? You don't.
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ANR
Topics in Subtropics: Article

A Story about Cooperative Extension

September 3, 2014
By Ben A Faber
This is a story about phone calls that come in to my message machine. Yesterday I got 3 calls from PCAs (Pest Control Advisors) and two from growers.
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A honey bee sipping syrup from a hummingbird feeder. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

Will Hummingbird Syrup Harm the Bees?

September 2, 2014
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
It's no secret that honey bees like the sugar/water mixture in hummingbird feeders. If there's no bee guard on the feeder or if the feeder isn't bee-proofed, bees will sip the mixture. They also will lick the spills. A sudden gust that sways or upends the feeder is "bee happy time.
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