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May 2025Archived
Field picture submitted by Elizabeth Fichtner

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Honey bee on a tower of jewels, Echium wildpretii. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

The Cold, Hard Facts About Honey Bees

September 17, 2013
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Photos of honey bees can sometimes exude a dreamy, even ethereal quality, but in real life, bees are in trouble. That's why Marla Spivak's TED talk should be required viewing.
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A praying mantis leaps at a fluttering butterfly. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

The Monarch and the Mantis

September 16, 2013
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
It happened so quickly. The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) fluttered to the lantana for a sip of nectar when the unexpected happened. A praying mantis, lying in wait, leaped high and grabbed it by its wings. Unable to fly, the monarch struggled to right itself.
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coffee
Topics in Subtropics: Article

Coffee in California?

September 16, 2013
By Ben A Faber
Who a thunk it, but coffee can grow in coastal California, because our latitude approximates the climate found in high altitude coffee growing areas found in Central America. And now there is a "small" industry growing here.
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IGIS: Article

Photos from the American Fire

September 14, 2013
By Maggi Kelly
These are courtesy of Christopher Dow, crew leader for our SNAMP field work. They were in the Last Chance area gathering post-treatment data when the American Fire started. They were able to collect all the field data we needed for SNAMP before leaving. Which is great news for SNAMP.
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Love in the bean field at the UC Dry Bean Field Day. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

Love in the Bean Field

September 13, 2013
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Love is where you find it. And sometimes you find it in a bean field. Take the UC Dry Bean Field Day on Sept. 5 at UC Davis.
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UC Rice Blog: Article

Grade 2 Rice

September 13, 2013
By Luis Espino
Every year for the past 3 or 4 years I've been hearing of rice that is graded No. 2 because of "peck". It's always been just a few isolated cases, except in 2011 when we had some early rains during harvest. The free water on the surface of the the grains may allow fungi to grow and stain the kernel.
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Buckeye butterfly on sedum. Note the missing chunks of its wings. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

A Miss Is as Good as a Mile

September 12, 2013
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
A miss is as good as a mile...or a smile. The Buckeye (Junonia coenia) is a striking butterfly patterned with eyespots and white bars. We saw one today nectaring on sedum, but with chunks of a wing missing. Perhaps a bird or a praying mantis tried to grab it. It narrowly escaped predation.
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Apiculturist Dewey Caron at a Western Apicultural Society meeting. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

Honey Bee Biology

September 11, 2013
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
The newly revised book, Honey Bee Biology and Beekeeping, by Dewey Caron with Lawrence (Larry) John Connor, is a wealth of information. Published by Wicwas Press of Kalamazoo, Mich., it doubles as a university textbook and a "how-to" resource for beekeepers.
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