Backyard Orchard News
Coming Oct. 7: A Tour of Kate Frey's Bee-utiful Garden
"When's the next public tour of Kate Frey's garden?" That's a question we're often asked and now...
This is the Hopland home of Kate and Ben Frey, featuring gardens by Kate and rustic structures and whimsical art by Ben. (Photo by Kate Frey)
A bumble bee and honey bee share teasel in the Frey gardens. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
An inviting path in the Frey gardens. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Find the Praying Mantids in the Milkweed
It's 6 a.m. Do you know where your praying mantids are? Well, yes. Two of them. Just before dawn...
Early morning silhouette: Find the two praying mantids. There's a female and a male clinging to the milkweed. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
As morning dawns, a female praying mantis,Stagmomantis limbata, checks out what's below. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A male praying mantis, Stagmomantis limbata, clings to a milkweed stem. Just above him: a female, not seen in this photo. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Hmm...where are you, my little buddy? The female praying mantis looks around for the male. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The next morning, the female praying mantis ambushes and eats a honey bee. The male? Nowhere in sight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Intriguing Topic: Social Evolution in Social Insects
Intriguing topic: social evolution in social insects... The UC Davis Department of Entomology and...
A close encounter between a honey bee and a velvety tree ant (Liometopum occidentale) on a lavender blossom; both are social insects. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Handing Over the Bees!
Beekeepers circled biologist Randy Oliver, commercial beekeeper, scientist, writer and educator, as...
Beekeeper-scientist Randy Oliver of Grass Valley gestures during his presentation. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Randy Oliver hands over bees to beekeeper Ettamarie Peterson of Petaluma, a member of the Sonoma County Beekeepers' Association and the Western Apicultural Society. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Beekeeper Etta Marie Peterson displays a handful of bees as a cell phone photographer captures the moment. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
If a bird in the hand is worth two in a bush, what's a handful of bees worth? Ettamarie Peterson, Petaluma beekeeper and member of the Sonoma County Beekeepers' Association and the Western Apicultural Society, displays a handful of nurse bees. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
California Red Scale Workshop on Biology and Management
On Sept 28, Dr. Beth Grafton-Cardwell led an all-day training on the nitty gritty details of...
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