Ongoing research

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THIS HONEY BEE nectaring a backyard nectarine tree looks like stained glass. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Our Little Agricultural Workers in the Big Apple

March 15, 2010
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
If you've ever strolled the streets of New York, you probably noticed a few honey bees here and there. Not the HIVES (they're illegal), but the BEES. Tomorrow, the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will vote on whether city residents can keep bees in the Big Apple.
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WHAT'S WRONG with this photo? For the answer, read the text above. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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What's Wrong With This Photo?

March 12, 2010
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Take a close look. What's wrong with the first photo posted below this blog? If you're a beekeeper or someone who's been around bees, you'll know immediately. If not, you may look at the photo and say "Hmm, a honey bee. Yep, it's a honey bee, all right. It's on a what...
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THIS KELLY GREEN walking stick is the impetus behind the Bohart Museum's special theme, "What Has Six Legs and Is Green All Over?" The Bohart will focus on what's green from 1 to 5 p.m., Sunday, March 21 in a special St. Paddy's Day theme. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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Going Green

March 11, 2010
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
What has six legs and is green all over? If you think like an entomologist, that's easy. Walking sticks, walking leaves, mantids, crickets and grasshoppers...
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HONEY BEE, packing red pollen from nearby rock purslane blossoms, nectars lavender. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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Benefit for the Bees

March 10, 2010
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
First question: Concerned about the declining bee population and deteriorating bee health? Second question: Like to paint, draw, sculpt or photograph honey bees? Or craft bee jewelry? Or use another art medium?
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MOSQUITO RESEARCHER Tara Thiemann, a doctoral candidate, UC Davis Department of Entomology, is the recipient of the William C. Reeves New Investigator Award. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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New Breed of Scientists

March 9, 2010
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
William C. Reeves (1916-2004) would have been proud. Remember William "Bill" Reeves? A renowned entomologist, professor and dean at UC Berkeley, he was widely regarded as the world's foremost authority on the spread and control of mosquito-borne diseases.
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Colusa County: Article

March 2010

March 8, 2010
2009 rice variety trial results, red rice update, rice water weevil distribution in California rice fields.
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Picture-winged fly (Ceroxys latiusculus) (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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Tracking the Picture-Winged Fly

March 8, 2010
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Honey bees, bumble bees, hover flies, parasitoids and common houseflies aren't the only visitors paying their respects to our two nectarine trees. A picture-winged fly (Ceroxys latiusculus) dropped in on Feb. 28 for a quick visit.
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BLACK-FACED BUMBLE BEE (Bombus californicus) gathering pollen in a California poppy. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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Saving the Native Bees in Yolo County

March 5, 2010
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Xerces Society scientists just developed a first-of-its-kind conservation strategy summarizing the threats facing native bees in the diverse landscapes of Yolo County and identifying measures to protect them. And what a great conservation--and conservation--piece this is.
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THIS COLLECTION of bees, by native pollinator specialist Robbin Thorp, shows the wide diversity of bees in Yolo County. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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So Many Bees

March 3, 2010
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Folks accustomed to seeing only honey bees (which are non-natives) buzzing around their yard probably aren't aware that in the United States alone there are some 4000 identified species of native bees. And they probably aren't aware of The Bee Course.
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