Bug Squad

Nature's Gallery is absolutely spectacular. You may remember hearing about the UC Davis Art/Science Fusion Program project when it was displayed in the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C. in the summer of 2007. Nature's Gallery drew raves then and it's drawing raves now.

The declining population of honey bees troubles us all.

Beekeepers sometimes see a white-eyed drone in their hives--a genetic mutation. All drones (male) honey bees, have these spectacular wrap-around eyes that are perfect for finding a virgin queen on her maiden flight. After all, the drone's sole purpose is to mate with a queen and then die.

So you're sitting in your yard having your morning coffee, and you get buzzed--not a buzz from the caffeine but a buzz by a carpenter bee. A male carpenter bee, Xylocopa tabaniformis orpifex, is guarding the salvia, fending off all other male suitors as it waits for a female to arrive.

They're tiny--about 1/5 of an inch long. They feed at night and hide during the day. There's a good reason why they're called "the menace in the mattress." The mattress is one of their hiding spots. They? Bed bugs. Parasites that feed on human blood.