Rangelands

Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County Client's Request: Visiting the Master Gardener Help Desk at our new relocated offices @ 2380 Bisso Lane in Concord I found these spiders in my home Although I know that they aren't normally fou...

According to many state fire officials, we no longer have simply a Fire Season' but a Fire Year'. In winter drought conditions, some parts of our region do not receive enough rain to mitigate fire danger.

Judge: "Will the defendant please rise?" The defendant, a praying mantis--a male Stragmomantis limbata--rises solemnly, stretching his spiked forelegs.

Ever seen a mantidfly, also called a mantisfly? Bohart Museum of Entomology associate John De Benedictis, aka "Moth Man," brought a mantidfly, an insect that's parasitic to spiders, to the museum on Tuesday.

It was "b-day" today at The Bohart Museum of Entomology in honor of longtime Bohart associate Robbin Thorp, distinguished emeritus professor of entomology at the University of California, Davis. Bohart associates sang "Happy Birthday" and cheered when he blew out a candle on the dessert plate.

Thar's gold in them thar hills? Probably not. But thar's definitely gold in that there pollinator garden--our little pollinator garden in Vacaville, Calif. Gold, black and white--as in the iconic monarch caterpillars. We've been waiting all year for Mama Monarchs to lay some eggs on our milkweed.

DAVIS--A parasitic blister beetle thrives in digger bee nests through intricate exploitation and deception, adapting to different hosts in multiple geographic locations, according to groundbreaking research headed by evolutionary ecologist Leslie Saul-Gershenz of the University of California, Davis.

The city of Los Angeles is preparing to remove parts of the LA River's concrete lining, but that may not be enough to bring back native fish, reported Zoie Matthew in Los Angeles Magazine. "It's hard to do piece-by-piece restoration projects for things adapted to river and stream systems.

This year ranks as the worst monarch season he's ever seen in California. But...this year ranks as the best milkweed season he's ever seen in California.

The three men pause in front of the Kate Frey Pollinator Garden at the Sonoma Cornerstone and begin to read the sign. "The Pollinator Garden by Kate Frey," one man reads out loud. "It's brand new, come back soon and watch as it grows. This flower-filled and colorful garden is a pollinator garden.