Bug Squad

Bumble bee on bull thistle at Bodega Bay
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Ready to cut the ribbon (from left) are almond pollination consultant Robert Curtis of Carmichael, retired director of agricultural affairs, Almond Board of California; Brad Pankratz of Can-Am Apiaries, Orland; Jackie Parks-Burris of Jackie Park-Burris Queen Bees, Palo Cedro and a past president of California State Beekeepers' Association; Darren Cox, Logan, Utah, past president of American Honey Producers; and Kelvin Adee of Bruce, S.D., president of American Honey Producers.
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A Grand Opening--And Bees Were Nowhere in Sight

January 15th, 2020
It was a grand opening of the USDA-ARS bee research facility at the University of California, Davis, but the bees were nowhere in sight. That's because bees don't fly until the temperature hits around 55, and the thermometer on that wintry day (Jan. 7) refused to budge over 47.
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Mexican free-tailed batsleaving Yolo Causeway at dusk on Sept. 10, 2019. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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Bohart Museum Open House: What Insects Do Bats Eat?

January 13th, 2020
When you watch bats emerge at dusk in the summer from the Yolo Causeway, have you ever wondered what insects they eat? UC Davis doctoral candidate Ann Holmes has--and she's doing research on what's in their guano (feces).
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Colonies of Camponotus semitestaceus (carpenter ants) as identified by UC Davis entomologist and doctoral candidate Brendon Boudinot. These are in a Vacaville park. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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Corrie Moreau to Speak at UC Davis on 'The Evolution of Ants'

January 10th, 2020
For several weeks now, we've been watching colonies of carpenter ants in a Vacaville, Callif. park. They draw the attention of curious kids--some poke them with a stick, stomp on them, or race their bicycles over them. Some peer into the holes, trying to see the insects inside.
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Beekeepers are gearing up for the California almond polination season, which usually starts around Feb. 14. Here, in this file photo, an industrious bee forages on an almond blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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Meet the President of the American Honey Producers

January 9th, 2020
January is cold in Bruce, S.D., where the average nighttime temperature dips to 3 degrees. Beekeeper Kelvin Adee, who hails from Bruce, isn't experiencing any of that right now. He's in California--and so are his bees for the almond pollination season.
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