Backyard Orchard News
Have You Seen Me? Can You Identify Me?
Have you seen me? Can you identify me? No, you're a skipper, but which one are you? The colorful...
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Bears Raiding Bee Colonies: They're Seeking the Brood
Yes, bears raid honey bee colonies. But it's primarily for the bee brood, not the honey. The...
This is what bear damage to a hive looks like. This photo was provided by Jackie Park-Burris of Palo Cedro, who owns Jackie Park-Burris Queens. (Photo courtesy of Jackie-Park Burris)
A bear scattered frames all over this bee yard as it went for the brood, and then the honey. (Photo courtesy of Jackie Park-Burris, Palo Cedro)
A bear wreaked havoc in this bee yard. (Photo courtesy of Jackie Park-Burris, Palo Cedro)
This image of a bear snagging fish was taken at Lake Tahoe by Eric Mussen, Extension apiculturist emeritus, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. He's been answering questions about bears and bees for more than three decades.
A Face Only a Mother Could Love?
So there we were, on Mother's Day, looking at the yet-to-bloom English lavender in our yard. And...
A golden dung fly, Scathophaga stercoraria, perched on lavender, stares at the photographer on Mother's Day. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
This golden dung fly, dead, was found on lavender next to live flies. Art Shapiro, UC Davis distinguished professor of evolution and ecology, looked at its swollen belly and said it died "from entomophagous fungus--perhaps the same one that 'glues' houseflies to window panes."(Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Sprayer calibration and coverage training for improved California red scale control in citrus will be held at Lindcove Research and Extension Center on June 13, 2017.
The Citrus Research Board and UC Agriculture and Natural resources have partnered to present a sprayer calibration and coverage training for improved California red scale control in citrus. The training will be at Lindcove Research and Extension Center (LREC) Tuesday, June 13, 2017, 7:30 am - 1pm. Four hours of continuing education hours have been requested. The agenda includes: California red scale control issues; spray calibration basics; a field demonstration on the differences in coverage based on two ground speeds; a field demonstration based on two fan settings; calibration measuring flow rate and land rate; the the future of spray technology. The meeting will include lunch. Presenters will include Ali Pourreza, UCCE Advisor, Kearney Ag REC (KARE); Beth Grafton-Cardwell, Dept of Entomology UCR, and KARE, and Director of LREC; Lynn Wunderlich, UCCE Central Sierra Farm Advisor; Matt Strmiska, Adaptiv; and Franz Niederholzer, UCCE Colusa County Farm Advisor.
To register, please contact the Citrus Research Board at 559-738-0246 or register online by June 9th. The cost is $30 per person, and seats are limited to 80 people; 4 hours of other have been approved by CDPR.
KARE works with 300 Tulare County Fourth Graders at 2017 AgVentures Day!
KARE outreach and education leader, Laura Van Der Staay, along with UCD Cooperative Extension Cropping Systems Specialist, Jeff Mitchell, had their hands full with over 300 enthusiastic Tulare County 4th graders as part of the 2017 half-day AgVentures extravaganza that was held at the International Ag Center on May 12. This is the third time the two of them have taken part in this activity that is always a big hit with the kids, teachers and parents. Students learned about soil science and research that is underway at the KARE Center related to soil function and management and also had a chance to see up close and personal how soils can change if they are managed using conservation agriculture practices. While the day is always grueling, both Van Der Staay and Mitchell departed after a hearty hamburger lunch that was provided by the event organizers with the satisfaction of having hopefully expanded horizons and inspired a new generation of science-loving students.