Archive Nut, Prune and Olive Programs

Blue merle mini-Australian shepherds have one. So do honey bees. What? A tongue. For a puppy, the tongue can symbolize pure happiness. For a worker honey bee: a solid work ethic.

If you like to take nature walks and lean against an occasional tree, you might rub shoulders with a red-eyed, red-shouldered bug. On warm, springlike days, soapberry bugs are exploring their territories--and doing what comes naturally.

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Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759-1796) lamented in his poem To a Mouse (1786) that The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. He had just plowed into a mouse nest on his farm. The loss of life disturbed him.

A sure sign of approaching spring... As the cold weather subsides, out come the overwintering queen bumble bees. They're gathering nectar and pollen, building their nests and laying eggs.

It's a wonderful gift. Hagen-Dazs last December committed $125,000 to the UC Davis Department of Entomology to establish a bee friendly garden at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, and today, the winner of the design competition takes center stage. The winner...drum roll, please..

Lots of them, but what are they? Vacaville residents Mark and Julie Vasquez began finding little flies in Birds Landing, near Rio Vista, in late January 2009. Their numbers are increasing rapidly. Theyre everywhere, said Mark.

Have you seen it? Insect.Desperto? Internationally renowned artist Eduardo Kac, who uses biotechnology and genetics to create provocative works, created the runtime animation, "Insect.Desperto" back in 1995. (By the way, "Desperto means awaken in Portuguese.

The rain and wind took turns destroying the flowers in our garden last Sunday in a siege not unlike a scene from The Wrestler. The rock purslane (Calandrinia grandiflora) took a beating, but like Mickey Rourke, it will return.

Claire Preston isn't a beekeeper but she's written an informative book titled Bee. Published in 2006 by Reaktion Books, London, it's short, simple and sweet. Especially sweet.