Bug Squad

Bumble bee on bull thistle at Bodega Bay
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Malaria-Proof Mosquito?

August 12th, 2010
A malaria-proof mosquito? Research news coming out of the University of California, Davis and the University of Arizona labs recently drew international attention; the scientists have genetically engineered mosquitoes that are resistant to malaria parasites.
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Seeing Spots

August 11th, 2010
If you've seen a lot of buckeye butterflies this season, you're not alone. It's a big year for buckeyes, says noted butterfly expert Arthur Shapiro, professor of evolution and ecology at the University of California, Davis. He counts between "30 and 85 a day" in West Sacramento and North Sacramento.
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Oh, the Diversity in the Garden

August 10th, 2010
The Hagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven, the half-acre bee friendly garden planted last fall next to the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility on Bee Biology Road at the University of California, Davis, is more than just a haven for honey bees.
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Bad News for Black Walnut Trees

August 9th, 2010
The news is startling, but not totally unexpected. Thousand cankers disease, which infects and kills black walnut trees, has spread from the western United States to the eastern United States. Officials announced Aug. 5 that the disease has been detected in Knox County in east Tennessee.
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Tame That Tiger

August 6th, 2010
Tame that tiger. Wilton beekeeper Brian Fishback, president of the Sacramento Area Beekeepers' Association, stopped Friday at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, UC Davis, and a friendly Western tiger swallowtail greeted him. At least, it seemed quite friendly.
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