Africanized honey bees are bad news. They are often called “killer bees.” They were first noticed in Texas in 1990 and reached California four years later. While the name “killer” is generally an exaggeration, people who are allergic to bees certainly could receive enough stings to have a fatal...

My day was like every other day – that is, until I arrived home from work. To escape the heat of my house and enjoy what little of the day I could, I went out to my backyard. Yep, it felt good to be outdoors. The little bit of breeze felt good as it carried the refreshing scent of the spring flowers. I...

In my role as a docent at the Placerita Canyon Nature Center, it is not uncommon to hear someone say there were far more insects, be they butterflies or bees or virtually any insect, when they were growing up, than now. I would echo those thoughts – whether growing up on Long Island, N.Y., as I did,...

I suspect a great many readers have hummingbird feeders in their yards. I know that I do. In fact, I have two, and I just gave one as a gift to a dear friend. It is fascinating and enjoyable to sit and watch the hummingbirds swirl around the feeders, the iridescent red, gold and green glinting off of...

The vast majority of flies are upstanding citizens in the insect community. They feed on nectar – not scat, otherwise known as poo – and hence, they share the space on the flower heads with bees. They are also pollinators. Since flies, at least according to many birds and lizards, are a tasty...