UC Blogs

Rub-a-Dub-Dub

Ever seen honey bees engaging in washboarding? It's a behavior so named because they look as if they're scrubbing clothes on a washboard or...

Honey bees engaging in washboarding behavior with "rocking" or up-and-down movements. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Honey bees engaging in washboarding behavior with "rocking" or up-and-down movements. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Foragers flying back to the hive as their sisters engage in washboarding activity on the wall, or what Susan Cobey calls "sweeping the front porch." (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Foragers flying back to the hive as their sisters engage in washboarding activity on the wall, or what Susan Cobey calls "sweeping the front porch." (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

What We Need: A Better Bee

Varroa mites, those pesky little parasites that suck the blood out of honey bees and spread multiple viruses, are now found throughout the world,...

The lifespan of this mite-infested drone will be short. The brownish-orange "bumps" are varroa mites. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The lifespan of this mite-infested drone will be short. The brownish-orange "bumps" are varroa mites. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Close-up of varroa mite on drone pupa. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Secret Life of Flowers

Flowers are like fireworks, except that we rarely get to see the action.  Snapdragons, Asiatic Lilies, Daffodils, Roses, Fuchsia and more, unfold, unfurl, uncoil in front of our eyes so slowly that we rarely see this aspect of their beauty. So here, someone has given us the chance. I’ve tried for quite a while to come up with something more to say but sometimes a picture really does speak 1000 words. The Russian (????? ??????) translates to “Living Color”. Follow this to watch a really beautiful display of nature’s fireworks!

 

http://www.vimeo.com/27920977

Multi-county partnerships saving county and University funds

Scott Oneto, the director of the first UC Cooperative Extension multi-county partnership UCCE Central Sierra, told the Amador County Board of Supervisors that the new organizational structure has saved participating counties and University funds while supporting local programs, reported Jim Reece on TSPNTV.com in Amador County.

Four counties contributed funds to the partnership: Amador County, $134,000; Calaveras County, $148,000; Tuolumne County, $144,000; and El Dorado County, $270,000. The 2011-2012 budget also included $590,000 in grants, $450,000 in federal and state funding and $110,000 in fundraising and indirect county funding, Oneto reported to the Board.

In all, UCCE Central Sierra ended the year with a budget of $3.025 million. The complete 2011-2012 Annual Report is available online (pdf).

The Lavender Blossom Special

If you want to take photos of honey bees in flight, do so early in the morning. They don't move as fast and the lighting is to die for.This morning...

Honey bee in flight, heading toward a lavender blossom. Note the varroa mite on her head.(Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Honey bee in flight, heading toward a lavender blossom. Note the varroa mite on her head. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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