Rangelands

Wildfires burning in western U.S. forests have increased in size and severity since the late 20th century, with a number of recent fires exhibiting characteristics that match the criteria for mass fires or fires that burn with high intensity over large continuous areas for long durations of time.

The Bohart Museum of Entomology will focus on pests of agricultural crops, including rice and alfalfa, at its open house from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 28. The event, titled Bugs in Ag: What Is Eating Our Crops and What Is Eating Them? will take place from 1 to 4 p.m.

It's World Bee Day! How did that come about? One word: Slovenia. The Republic of Slovenia, rich in beekeeping history, asked the United Nations to proclaim an annual World Bee Day, and following a three-year international effort, the United Nations agreed to do so in December 2017.

UC Davis distinguished professor James R. Carey will speak on "The Conceptual Sweep of a Mathematical Discovery in Insect Biodemography: From Medfly Populations to the U.S. Congress" at the Wednesday, May 25th seminar hosted by the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.

So there we were, checking out the bumble bee mimics (Anthophora bomboides stanfordiana) on May 9 at Bodega Head, Sonoma County, and along buzzes a pollen-packing Habropoda miserabilis, the bee that UC Davis doctoral alumnus Leslie Saul-Gershenz studies.

If you are battling with ground squirrels or tree squirrels around your home or property, join us on Thursday, May 19 at noon for UC IPM's one-hour seminar on Squirrels! Dr.

If you've ever been to Bodega Head in Sonoma County, you may have marveled at the waves crashing and the whales surfacing. But have you ever seen the digger bees, Anthophora bomboides stanfordiana, aka bumble bee mimics, that nest in the sandstone cliffs? They're there.

Want to learn more about those insect pests that ravage our crops? Curious about spiders and their ecological roles? Ever heard of the California dogface butterfly, which the California State Legislature designated at the state insect 50 years ago? You're in luck.

The Bohart Museum of Entomology, located in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building on Crocker Lane, UC Davis campus, will host four public events from May 28 through July 16. All are free and open to the public. Parking is also free. Saturday, May 28, 1 to 4 p,m.

What's better than seeing a yellow-faced bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenskii, foraging on an neon pink ice plant at Bodega Bay? Seeing two bumble bees on the same flower. That's what we observed on a recent trip to Doran Regional Park, Bodega Bay, Sonoma County. It was bumble bee heaven.