Bug Blog
Bring 'em On!
It's what I've always wanted to see on Christmas Day. On Dec. 25, we rarely see any insects--probably because we aren't looking for them. But a butterfly? And a butterfly laying an...
Gulf Fritillary butterfly laying an egg on Christmas Day in west Vacaville. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Gulf Fritillary spreading her wings. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Seeing Red: Holiday Red
Yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as "red pollen." Like people, pollen comes in many colors and all are beautiful. All. The floral source determines the color of the pollen. Just as nectar...
Honey bee with red pollen (from neighboring rock purslane) sipping nectar from lavender. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Honey bee, packing red pollen, returning to a rock purslane blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Sorry, This Rooftop Is Occupied
Up on the rooftopReindeer pause,Out jumps good ol' Santa Claus... With all the rooftop beekeeping underway throughout the world, Santa may have some serious issues to consider tonight. The...
The San Francisco Chronicle engages in rooftop beekeeping and maintains two colonies and a fruit and vegetable garden. Journalists Deb Wandell and Meredith May are the beekeepers. Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology and Queen Turner, head of the beekeeping Section, Ministry of Agriculture, Botswana, inspected the hives last June. From left are Turner, Wandell and Mussen. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
San Francisco Chronicle journalists/beekeepers Journalists Meredith May (left) and Deb Wandell inspect a frame of honey on the Chronicle's rooftop. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Revisiting 'The 13 Bugs of Christmas'
It's time to revisit "The 13 Bugs of Christmas." You've heard "The 12 Days of Christmas," beginning with a single "partridge in a pear tree" and ending with "12 drummers drumming." In between: two...
A golden bee (Italian). (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Her Name Was Olive
Her name was Olive. Every Friday morning she'd come bounding over to greet me, her tail wagging happily, one ear up, one ear down. I called her "My Second Favorite Dog" and nicknamed her "The Bee...
Olive attentively watches for Kris Kolb. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Sarah Hodge pets Olive, while Kris Kolb gardens. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Olive faithfully follows Kris Kolb as she hauls away clippings. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)