Backyard Orchard News
Tardigrades Aren't Microscopic Any More

Tardigrades, also known as the water bears, are microscopic animals but they're...
Charlotte Herbert Alberts, an entomology doctoral student. The Bohart has its own bear "water bear" flag! (Photo by Fran Keller)
The California Bear Flag features a grizzly bear, while the Bohart Republic flag features another bear, a water bear. The California State Legislature adopted the official version of the Bear Flag in 1911 in a law signed by then Gov. Hiram Johnson in 1911.
The Professors: Fran Keller, assistant professor at Folsom Lake College, and Jason Bond, Evert and Marion Schlinger Endowed Chair in Insect Systematics in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, are surrounded by hooded sweatshirts available for sale at the Bohart Museum. Keller, who holds a doctorate in entomology from UC Davis, designed the hoodies. Bond, a spider expert, will be presenting displays at the Bohart Museum's open house on March 9. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Vertebrate Pest Control Meetings Around the State
Licensed pest management professionals:
The Vertebrate Pest Council is hosting a seminar series this year in conjunction with new partner Target Specialty Products. Don't miss this unique opportunity to learn about wildlife management of a number of bird and mammalian species from staff at the University of California, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Department of Food and Agriculture, the Department of Pesticide Regulation and more!
Both structural and DPR continuing education units are available and Vector CEUs have been approved for some venues. For more information on these workshops including speakers, costs, directions, and registration, please see www.vpconference.org.
Workshop dates and locations:
Niamh Quinn, Ph.D.
Human-Wildlife Interactions Advisor
University of California Cooperative Extension
South Coast Research and Extension Center
7601 Irvine Blvd.,
Irvine, CA 92618
Phone: 949-301-9182 ext 1004
Email: nmquinn@ucanr.edu
Twitter: @SCUWMCouncil
Bee My Valentine!

Remember receiving valentine cards that read "Bee My Valentine?" Well, every day can be...
A yellow-faced bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenskii, nectaring on a spiked floral purple plant, Salvia indigo spires (Salvia farinacea x S. farinacea). (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Ooh, this nectar is good! The yellow-faced bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenskii, can't get enough of this salvia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Yes, I can "bee" an acrobat when I want to "bee." A yellow-faced bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenskii, on a salvia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
See Bugs, Bees and Nematodes on UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day

It's going to be a long weekend, but it's a short one when you consider all the things you can do...
A six-foot-long mosaic and ceramic sculpture, Miss Beehaven, anchors the Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven. It is the work of Donna Billick of Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A colorful--and viable--bee hive at the Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven. Bees don't usually fly until the temperature hits 55 degrees. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
UC Davis nematologist and graduate student Christopher Pagan (center) greets visitors at a UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Butterflies are a popular attraction at the Bohart Museum of Entomology. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
At the Bohart Museum of Entomology, visitors can hold the stick insects. This is a black velvet walking stick with red wings. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Tsetse Flies: Who Knew?

Did you read the article in today's New York Times about tsetse flies and the scientists who...
Close-up of a gravid tsetse fly (Glossina morsitans morsitans). (Photo by Geoffrey Attardo)
Medical entomologist Geoffrey Attardo in his office in Briggs Hall, UC Davis campus. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)