Backyard Orchard News
Have You Seen Me? A Tagged Monarch?
The next time you see a Monarch butterfly heading your way--or settled in at an overwintering site...
Close-up of a tagged Monarch butterfly. (Photo by David James, entomologist at Washington State University, Pullman, Wash.)
Entomologist David James demonstrates how to tag a Monarch. This image was taken at a meeting of the Washington Butterfly Association at a Monarch breeding site near Vantage in central Washington on Aug. 23 2014.
Inmates at the Washington State Penitentiary, Walla Walla, rear most of the Monarchs. The photo, taken during a WSU Media Day, shows the release of the butterflies. (Photo by David James)
This Monarch butterfly, reared by inmates at the Washington State Penitentiary, heads for freedom. (Photo by David James)
Bee BMP: 'A' for Communication
Can you say "Bee BMP?" That's a short-cut for "Bee Best Management Practices." The Almond Board...
Michael "Kim" Fondrk of UC Davis tends Robert Page's bees in a Dixon, Calif. almond orchard. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A frame of healthy bees. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Best Management Practices for Honey Bees
The Almond Board of California will unveil its Honey Bee Best Management Practices tomorrow...
Honey bee pollinating an almond blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Almond orchard buzzing with bees. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Go West, Young Monarch, Go West!
Westward, ho! The western migration of the Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) to their...
A male Monarch nectaring on Mexican sunflower (Tithonia). (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Side view of the Monarch. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Monarch gets ready for flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
California Red Scale Workshop Provided Insights Into Scale Issues
On September 30, an in-depth workshop was held at the UC ANR Lindcove Research and Extension Center to discuss the biology and management of California red scale. Twenty seven participants spent the day viewing scales under microscopes and learning about Aphytis and Comperiella wasps. The hot topic (literally) this year, above and beyond the usual complexities of managing scale, was the much higher than average accumulation of heat units. Normally there are about 4 generations of scale per year in the San Joaquin Valley, but this year a 5th generation is developing. This is the third year in a row that temperatures have been above the 30 year average. We also discussed the fact that systemic neonicotinoid insecticide use is becoming very common place and repeated use of the systemic neonicotinoids results in a build up of scale on the wood that is difficult to control with natural enemies or insecticides. So, the combined problems of scale build up due to changes in insecticide use patterns and high average daily temperatures have resulted in outbreaks of California red scale in the San Joaquin Valley.
Workshop participants Michelle and Greg