Bug Squad

Bumble bee on bull thistle at Bodega Bay
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THIS NATIVE POLLINATOR is a female sweat bee (Halictus tripartitus), so nicknamed because it is attracted to sweat. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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Wild Bees: Alternative Pollinators

March 24th, 2009
Scientists have long been studying alternative pollinators, especially with the decline of the honey bee population and growing concerns about "How will we pollinate our crops?
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THE VISITOR--A honey bee gathers nectar on salvia (sage), a popular plant in bee friendly gardens. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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The Buzz in Berkeley

March 23rd, 2009
An article in today's San Francisco Chronicle indicated that the Berkeley City Council is "poised to transform all the city's parks and open spaces into habitats for bees." That's the kind of news we need more of, more often.
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CLOSE--A beekeeper smokes a hive at Olivarez Honey Bees, Inc. in Orland. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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A Matter of Perspective

March 20th, 2009
To really know the honey bee industry, visit an apiary or bee yard. From a distance, you'll see a beekeeper working the hives. Look closer, and you'll see bees landing on visitors. Look even closer, and you'll see an individual bee going about her work.
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SOAPBERRY BUG crawls along an almond tree branch at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at UC Davis. The almond tree will be part of the Haagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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Biodiversity in the Honey Bee Haven

March 19th, 2009
When the half-acre Hagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven is implemented by the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at UC Davis later this year, honey bees won't be the only ones enjoying the garden. Expect to see butterflies, bumblebees and other insects.
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BEE BREEDER-GENETICIST Susan Cobey (center, with frame) manager of the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility teaches a class on the "Art of Queen Bee Rearing." Here she transfers bees. This photo shows an estimated 250,000 bees. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
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The Buzz

March 18th, 2009
Let me tell you 'bout the birds and the bees And the flowers and the trees... The Birds and the Bees (music and lyrics by Herb Newman) Don't know about "the birds and the flowers and the trees," but the bees were definitely there. Lots of bees. More than 250,000.
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