What’s the buzz? Bohart Museum open house draws a crowd

A bee observation hive, a bumble bee nest and assorted bee specimens proved to be the highlights of the Bohart Museum of Entomology’s open house on Sunday. Museum staffers and volunteers welcomed guests from 1 to 4 p.m. The theme was “Insect Societies.”

Several open houses remain in the 2012-13 academic year. All are free and open to the public. The schedule includes:

* Saturday, Dec. 15, 1 to 4 p.m.: ”Insects in Art”;

* Sunday, Jan. 13, 1 to 4 p.m.: ”Extreme Insects”;

* Saturday, Feb. 2, 1 to 4 p.m.:  ”Biodiversity Museum Day”;

Sunday, March 24, 1 to 4 p.m.: ”Aquatic Insects”;

Saturday, April 20, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: UC Davis Picnic Day;

Saturday, May 11, 1 to 4 p.m.: ”Moth-er’s Day”; and

Sunday, June 9, 1 to 4 p.m.: ”How to Find Insects.”

The Bohart Museum houses a global collection of nearly 8 million insect specimens and is the seventh largest insect collection in North America. It is also the home of the California Insect Survey, a storehouse of the insect biodiversity. Noted entomologist Richard M. Bohart (1913-2007) founded the museum in 1946.

The insect museum includes a live “petting zoo,” complete with Madagascar hissing cockroaches, walking sticks and a rose-haired tarantula. There’s also a gift shop filled with T-shirts, sweat shirts, posters, jewelry and insect-themed candy.

The museum is at 1124 Academic Surge on Crocker Lane (formerly California Drive). Regular hours are 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday. The museum is closed to the public on Fridays and on major holidays. Admission is free.