Test PB Collection: FTE

Farming has plenty of challenges. One of the hazards that farmers worry about the least are the dangers from working in the sun year-round. Harvest time can provide a reminder for farmers to pay attention to the condition of their skin.

Honey bees are passionate about passion flowers (Passiflora). The intricate tropical flower is their private merry-go-round, their favorite hide 'n seek place, their gathering spot.

If you're on your way to Bodega Bay in Sonoma County, stop at Bodega Head and see all the yellow-faced bumble bees on a yellow coastal plant, Eriophyllum, commonly known as the woolly sunflower. The bumble bees, Bombus vosnesenskii, are back and they particularly like the Eriophyllum.

I thought I share a rundown of last week's 57th Annual Weed Day hosted by the UC Davis Weed Science Program and the UC Weed Research and Information Center. This year the program was organized and (mostly) hosted by CE Weed Specialist Joe DiTomaso.

Another link to the newest issue of the California Weed Science Society (CWSS) Research Update and News. (June 2013, Vol 9, Number 2).

Squirrels eat a variety of fresh greens as well as seeds and dried nuts. In spring, ground squirrels prefer greens over seeds and nuts. Once the natural grasses begin to dry and wither, squirrels will actively forage for seeds.

You never know what you'll see on a purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). Honey bees. Check. Sweat bees. Check. Hummingbirds. Check. But sometimes these rough-and-tumble blossoms are graced with a Western tiger swallowtail butterfly (Papilio rutulus).

This article was originally published in the June 2013 issue of the Retail Nursery and Garden Center IPM News. Read the entire article at http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/RETAIL/retail-newsletter.html Adult mosquito.

In this Issue: Cultural Practices to Reduce Pest and Disease in Avocado and Citrus Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer in California Electronic "sniffer" for Detecting HLB Important Information Sources related to Fire Management and Protection Be Kill in Oregon - A Reminder of Pesticide Use...

They're ambush predators. Here you are, a bee, touching down on a flower and little do you know there's a patient and persistent crab spider lying in wait.