The rain that pounded Northern California on Oct. 18--complete with thunder and lightening--also drenched a few honey bees that waited out the storm.
Have you ever seen a thoroughly drenched bee? This one got caught in the storm and relocated from an African basil to a yellow rose in Vacaville, Calif. It burrowed beneath the petals.
As soon as the rain stopped and the sun emerged, she crawled out of her "bed of roses."
More rain is on its way in the form of El Niño.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) describes El Niño as "a disruption of the ocean-atmosphere system in the Tropical Pacific having important consequences for weather and climate across the globe." Basically, an El Niño is "characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific." Contrast that to a La Niño, characterized by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific.
Beekeepers are among those eagerly hoping that El Niño to put a dent in California's four-year drought. More rain means more flowers. More flowers means more nectar and pollen and better nutrition for the bees.
When Extension apiculturist Elina Lastro Niño (elnino@udavis.edu) joined the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology last year, she indicated she wished she could have brought some rain with her from Pennsylvania.
Well, it's on its way. And you can Track El Niño on the NOAA website.
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