Backyard Orchard News
Bumble Bees: Pollen Power in the Phacelia
Talk about pollen! The bumble bees, Bombus vandykei (as identified by Robbin Thorp, distinguished...
It's mine--move away! Two bumble bees, species Bombus vandykei, seek the same Phacelia blossom on the UC Davis central campus. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Check out the heavy load of pollen on this bumble bee, Bombus vandykei. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The Phacelia is a plant that native bees, including this native bumble bee, Bombus vandykei, love. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Saddle bags of pure gold? No, golden pollen carried by the Bombus vandykei. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Meet Big Red, the Flameskimmer
Big Red visited us for four consecutive days. The red flameskimmer dragonfly, Libellula saturata,...
A red flameskimmer, Libellula saturata, perches on a bamboo stake. Note the nesting earwigs and bees in the split stake. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A red flameskimmer, Libellula saturata, sparkles in the sun. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Helicopter? No, a red flameskimmer, Libellula saturata, glimmering in the sunlight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A flameskimmer,Libellula saturata, in flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
She'll Speak on The World's Most Dangerous Animal
The world's most dangerous animal isn't the shark, wolf, lion, elephant, hippo, crocodile, tsetse...
This is the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegptyi, which transmits dengue, Zika and other diseases. (CDC Photo)
This is the malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae. (Photo by Anthony Cornel, UC Davis)
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.