Bug Squad

Bumble bee on bull thistle at Bodega Bay
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EXTENSION APICULTURIST Eric Mussen (left) of the UC Davis Department of Entomology faculty shares information with Pennsylvania State Uniersity entomologist Dennis van Engelsdorp at the 2007 meeting of the Entomological Society of America. UC Davis and Penn State receive research funds in a project launched by Haagen-Dazs. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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The Buzz About CCD

August 12th, 2009
Entomologists, geneticists and virologists are still searching for the cause of colony collapse disorder (CCD). Yes, they're still searching, and no, there' s no known cause yet. CCD is a mysterious phenomonen characterized by adult bees abandoning the hive.
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CARPENTER BEE nectars a rock purslane. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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In the Pink

August 11th, 2009
Thunder boomed across the garden. The carpenter bee (Xylocopata tabaniformis orpifex) meant business. She headed straight for the slowly opening rock purslane (Calandrinia grandiflora). Never mind that the petals hadn't quite unfolded.
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HONEY BEE, with tongue extended, heads for catmint (Nepeta faassenii). This will be among the plants in the half-acre Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven, to be open to the public Oct. 16 on Bee Biology Road, UC Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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'Mint' Condition

August 10th, 2009
Honey bees love catmint as much as cats love catnip. Fact is, catmint and catnip belong to the same family: the mint family or Lamiaceae. The family also includes such aromatic celebrities as peppermint, sage, thyme, lavender, basil and oregano. So, when the Hagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven opens Oct.
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THIS HONEY BEE, sipping water from a leaf, is safe and secure--but not if hordes of Rasberry crazy ants find her. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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Beleaguered Bee, Crazy Ant

August 7th, 2009
It's a crazy world out there. Now our beleaguered honey bee has a new foe: the Rasberry crazy ant, Paratrechina sp. nr. pubens. The Rasberry crazy ant is driving Texans crazy.
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CLOSE-UP of a bee sting. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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The Sting

August 6th, 2009
Beekeepers consider stings just a part of their job. However, say the word "bee" and John Q. and Jane Q. Public may not think about the pollination of fruits, vegetables and nuts. Or the end product: honey. The bee conjures up the "S" word: sting.
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