Master Gardeners of Ventura County
University of California
Master Gardeners of Ventura County

Posts Tagged: Honey bee

The Bee and the Mantis

So here's this praying mantis, a female Mantis religiosa, tucked beneath a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola, in a Vacaville garden. She's as still as a stone, and you know how still stones are. Along comes a honey bee,...

A honey bee forages on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola, as a female praying mantis, Mantis religiosa, perches below. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A honey bee forages on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola, as a female praying mantis, Mantis religiosa, perches below. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A honey bee forages on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola, as a female praying mantis, Mantis religiosa, perches below. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Tuesday, September 3, 2024 at 6:38 PM
Focus Area Tags: Environment, Natural Resources, Yard & Garden

No Labor Day Holiday for the Honey Bees

Holiday? What holiday? It's Labor Day, but honey bees aren't relaxing. They're out in force collecting nectar, pollen, water and propolis. Ever seen them weighted down with huge pollen loads? They seem to have "Herculean strength," don't you...

A honey bee packing a huge load of orange pollen from zinnias as it heads for another blossom in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A honey bee packing a huge load of orange pollen from zinnias as it heads for another blossom in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A honey bee packing a huge load of orange pollen from zinnias as it heads for another blossom in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A honey bee, its wings a'buzzing, slips through the petals of a zinnia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A honey bee, its wings a'buzzing, slips through the petals of a zinnia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A honey bee, its wings a'buzzing, slips through the petals of a zinnia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

All finished here. Next zinnia here I come! (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
All finished here. Next zinnia here I come! (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

All finished here. Next zinnia here I come! (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Monday, September 2, 2024 at 12:54 PM
Focus Area Tags: Agriculture, Economic Development, Environment, Natural Resources, Yard & Garden

Golden Hour, Golden Bee on Gaillardia

Photographers call the first hour after dawn and the last hour before dusk "The Golden Hour." That's when the sunlight is softer and warmer. It's also called "The Magic Hour." Compare that to high noon, when the sun casts such strong highlights and...

A honey bee foraging on Gaillardia during The Golden Hour in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A honey bee foraging on Gaillardia during The Golden Hour in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A honey bee foraging on Gaillardia during The Golden Hour in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Wednesday, August 14, 2024 at 4:53 PM
Focus Area Tags: Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources, Yard & Garden

A Honey of a Bee

Is there a doctor in the house? Is there a doctor in the courtyard? Is there a doctor in the honey bee costume? Yes!  That was the scene at the Vacaville Museum Guild's Annual Children's Party, held Thursday morning, Aug. 8 in the museum...

Hear that buzz? The Honey Bee (Dr. George Stock) enters the courtyard. With him are Vacaville Museum Guild members Georganne Gebers (right) of Vacaville, and Sharon Walters of Dixon. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Hear that buzz? The Honey Bee (Dr. George Stock) enters the courtyard. With him are Vacaville Museum Guild members Georganne Gebers (right) of Vacaville, and Sharon Walters of Dixon. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Hear that buzz? The Honey Bee (Dr. George Stock) enters the courtyard. With him are Vacaville Museum Guild members Georganne Gebers (right) of Vacaville, and Sharon Walters of Dixon. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Children expressed excitement as they circled The Honey Bee. In the back is a cutout banner of a California dogface butterfly, the state insect, from the Bohart Museum of Entomology. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Children expressed excitement as they circled The Honey Bee. In the back is a cutout banner of a California dogface butterfly, the state insect, from the Bohart Museum of Entomology. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Children expressed excitement as they circled The Honey Bee. In the back is a cutout banner of a California dogface butterfly, the state insect, from the Bohart Museum of Entomology. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Little Eloise Vieira loved The Honey Bee. In back is Vacaville Museum Guild member is bee assistant Sharon Walters. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Little Eloise Vieira loved The Honey Bee. In back is Vacaville Museum Guild member is bee assistant Sharon Walters. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Little Eloise Vieira loved The Honey Bee. In back is Vacaville Museum Guild member is bee assistant Sharon Walters. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Solano County Sheriff's Department, Vacaville Police Department and California Highway Patrol all participated in the Museum Guild's Children's Party. The Honey Bee took time out to pose with several of the officers. From left are CHP Officer Mike Barday, Sheriff Sgt. Rex Hawkins, and CHP Officer Erica Tatum. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The Solano County Sheriff's Department, Vacaville Police Department and California Highway Patrol all participated in the Museum Guild's Children's Party. The Honey Bee took time out to pose with several of the officers. From left are CHP Officer Mike Barday, Sheriff Sgt. Rex Hawkins, and CHP Officer Erica Tatum. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Solano County Sheriff's Department, Vacaville Police Department and California Highway Patrol all participated in the Museum Guild's Children's Party. The Honey Bee took time out to pose with several of the officers. From left are CHP Officer Mike Barday, Sheriff Sgt. Rex Hawkins, and CHP Officer Erica Tatum. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Honey Bee poses with
The Honey Bee poses with "Queen Bee" Ettamarie Peterson of Petaluma, who displayed her bee observation hive at the event. At right is a costumed McGruff the Crime Dog from the Vacaville Police Department. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Honey Bee poses with "Queen Bee" Ettamarie Peterson of Petaluma, who displayed her bee observation hive at the event. At right is a costumed McGruff the Crime Dog from the Vacaville Police Department. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Honey Bee gets acquainted with Stanley, a 20-year-old donkey brought to the party by Tina Currie of the Vaca Valley Grange. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The Honey Bee gets acquainted with Stanley, a 20-year-old donkey brought to the party by Tina Currie of the Vaca Valley Grange. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Honey Bee gets acquainted with Stanley, a 20-year-old donkey brought to the party by Tina Currie of the Vaca Valley Grange. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Friday, August 9, 2024 at 5:42 PM
Focus Area Tags: Agriculture, Environment, Innovation, Natural Resources

Meet a Male Mantis in a Patch of Blanket Flowers

So there he is, a praying mantis in a patch of blanket flowers, Gaillardia, in a Vacaville garden. He's a male Mantis religiosa, as slim as a string bean, and scanning his environment. We're accustomed to seeing see the native...

The male Mantis religiosa, investigates his surroundings. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The male Mantis religiosa, investigates his surroundings. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The male Mantis religiosa, investigates his surroundings. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Oh, I think I'll go this way. The male praying mantis changes directions. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Oh, I think I'll go this way. The male praying mantis changes directions. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Oh, I think I'll go this way. The male praying mantis changes directions. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The male mantis does an Olympic-style stretch.  (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The male mantis does an Olympic-style stretch. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The male mantis does an Olympic-style stretch. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Wednesday, July 31, 2024 at 5:13 PM
Focus Area Tags: Environment, Innovation, Natural Resources, Yard & Garden

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