Bug Squad

Forget "The 12 Days of Christmas." It's "The 13 Bugs of Christmas." The UC Davis Department of Entomology came up with a song at its annual holiday party that drew roaring applause--and attention to bugs that either please or plague people.

If you were an aphid on a head of lettuce, a hoverfly larva would be a nightmare. They are voracious eaters of aphids. One larva per plant will control the aphids. That's what organic researcher Eric Brennan of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), U.S.

It's almost like peppermint candy. The red and white blossoms that grace the mint bush sage (Salvia microhylla) draw their share of bees. It's a late bloomer in the Hagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, University of California, Davis.

It's a stunning piece of work. It's a three-dimensional paper sculpture of a queen bee. Noted artist Marilyn Judson (right) of Davis created the paper sculpture (below) now on display in the "Sticky Business: Art of the Honey Bee" show that runs through Dec. 23 at the Pence Gallery, 212 D St.

It's a honey of a book. Honey bee expert Norman Gary, emeritus professor of apiculture at the University of California, Davis, is the author of a newly published book on beginning beekeeping titled Honey Bee Hobbyist: The Care and Keeping of Bees.