Ongoing research

A wide variety of citrus fruits brighten winter gardens and winter menus this month.TasksControl cool-season weeds before they mature and go to seed.Plants planted last spring and fall may need water if rainfall has been inadequate.Run sprinklers periodically through their cycles to maintain clean lines…

 Santa sleighed us.The jolly ol' man parked his reindeer on our roof on Christmas Eve, slipped down the chimney, and what to his wondering eyes should appear--but a very territorial tuxedo cat named Miss Sarah Sylvia Cynthia Stout that hissed at him.Santa eyed the cat and the brass grasshopper ornaments…

Blog by Paula PashbyA few years ago, I wrote a blog about one of my favorite plants in our garden: the Brugmansia suaveolens, also known as the Angel's Trumpet. I purchased the plant around 20 years ago and gave it to my mom, who took care of it with love.  When she passed away, we transplanted the…

 The annual Yule blog...Back in 2010, UC Cooperative Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen (1944-2022) of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, and yours truly, department communications specialist, wondered why no insects appear in "The Twelve Days of ChristmasZero. Zilch…

A beautiful way to add color to your garden in winter and early spring is to plant hellebores. These perennials grow low to the ground in clumps usually no more than one- and one-half feet high, with distinctive leathery, dark-green leaves. Their flowers, about two inches across, appear in clusters that…

  Remember Cole Cramer and Connor Hsu, the two Southern California insect enthusiasts who met as pre-teens at the 2022 Bio Boot Camp at UC Davis? They became fast friends, joined professional entomological societies, and formed a youth entomology group, the Lorquin Society…

2025 has been a rough year for the honey bees and their keepers. Reports of extreme colony mortality began in January, just before the almond bloom which requires the pollination services of an estimated 1.5 million colonies (Fenton, et al., 2025). As of July, honey bee colonies have reportedly dwindled by…