Posts Tagged: coyotes
Questions about coyotes or bees? UC experts respond
Reporter Peter Jensen talked to Robert Timm, director of the UC Hopland Research and Extension Center, which is located in Mendocino County. Timm said that researchers track reports of coyote attacks on humans, though no such attacks have ever been reported in Napa County.
For some Sacramento area trees, it's already spring
The Sacramento Bee reported that Bradford pear trees along Sacramento streets are blooming, and sidewalks were littered with flower petals after Monday's storm.
Reporter Debbie Arrington talked to Eric Mussen, UC Cooperative Extension apiculturist with the UC Davis Entomology department, about how the early warm weather might affect pollination and fruit formation.
"Honeybees don't really get confused," Mussen said. "They do act predictably. Anytime the temperature gets above 55 degrees, if there's food somewhere, they'll go get it."
Though petals may fall, Mussen explained that bees will be able to pollinate trees unless storm winds and rain knock entire flowers to the ground, leaving nothing to pollinate.
UC expertise sought on coyotes and organic chicken feed
University of California Cooperative Extension advisors and specialists are go-to people for the press when they are looking for expertise on a wide variety of topics. Here are a couple subjects UC academics tackled in recent days:
Suburban coyotes culled - Los Angeles Times
Times reporter Joe Monzingo wrote a feature story on suburban coyote trapper Jimmie Rizzo. According to the article, coyotes are becoming an increasing problem in some Southern California neighborhoods, putting small dogs, cats and even young children at risk. The article cited a 2004 UC Davis finding that the first reported coyote attack in California not attributed to rabies occurred in 1978. In the next 25 years, there were 89 attacks on people or on pets in the presence of people. More than three-quarters of those came after 1994.
"Our main thrust is to re-educate the public that wild animals are wild," the article quoted Rex Baker, a retired California Polytechnic State University, Pomona, professor who co-wrote with study with UC Davis wildlife specialist Robert Timm. "Once a coyote loses its fear of man, you have to re-instill it."
Warning to animal lovers: The last seven paragraphs of the article vividly recount Rizzo's MO as coyotes' "Angel of Death." For people with a tender heart for animals, it is not pleasant reading.
Growing grain for organic chickens - Stockton Record
Two UC advisors provided commentary for a story on an organic chicken producer who is attempting the unusual task of growing his own feed on a hillside farm near Mountain Ranch.
"We do almost no grains here in the foothills," the article quoted Kenneth Churches, the University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisor for Calaveras County.
Reporter Dana Nichols also spoke to farm advisor Mick Canivari of San Joaquin County UCCE. He said the practice of dryland farming that the organic grower is undertaking saves the expense of irrigation, but it's risky.
"If you don't get the moisture, you don't get the yield," he was quoted.
Far reach of Associate Press proven again
An Associated Press story on growing concerns about coyotes in California has reached far and wide over the past few days. Here is the version that appeared in the Los Angeles Times. Google News reports that, as of today, 181 media outlets picked up the story. The articles quoted UC Cooperative Extension wildlife specialist Robert Timm and plugged the Coyote Bytes Web site he created.
The AP article, written by Alicia Chang, says that coyote's agressive behavior seems to be on the upswing in Southern California.
"We're not sure what pushes them over the edge," Timm was quoted in the article. "There may be no single explanation for it." But he added later in the story, "They go where the food is."
The AP story noted that CoyoteBytes.org allows residents in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties to report coyote sightings online. Scientists use the information to study coyotes' movements in those areas.
Coyote