![a large yellow and black cicada killer wasp](/sites/extension.umn.edu/files/styles/crop_featured_image_crop/public/Cicada-killer.jpg?h=8399bbc1&itok=6M2PbBZ-)
The last few years have brought a new appreciation for the wide diversity of bees in Minnesota. Wasps have a similar diversity, and arguably provide even more beneficial services than bees do.
![adult squash bug on leaf](/sites/extension.umn.edu/files/styles/crop_featured_image_crop/public/squash-bugs-1_0.jpg?h=8d3d8d8a&itok=RGtOe3i-)
Where have all the bugs gone? Both our insect friends and foes have different strategies for surviving a Minnesota winter.
![orange butterfly with brown edges and white spots. It rests upon some goldenrod flowers](/sites/extension.umn.edu/files/styles/crop_featured_image_crop/public/regal%20fritillary%20by%20Larry%20Reis.jpg?h=2987c0c9&itok=psbq4uI7)
Dakota County is the home base for Sam Talbot, an Extension educator who is helping to reintroduce the prairie violet.
![A young woman takes a jar from an older woman as they stand at a kitchen counter preparing food.](/sites/extension.umn.edu/files/styles/crop_featured_image_crop/public/ElizabethQuillo-Ch%E2%80%99askaMaria-kitchen-cooking.png?h=a8a419fc&itok=YWiT5aIL)
A new video series invites you into kitchens where families pass on stories, recipes and cultural remedies from one generation to the next.
![Warehouse scene with a bin of tomatoes and shelves of tomatoes, and a farmer stands behind it with cardboard boxes](/sites/extension.umn.edu/files/styles/crop_featured_image_crop/public/tomato%20farmer%20_0.jpg?h=10802a70&itok=dUCSLP4V)
Beginning farmers nationwide will have access to an ever-growing amount of resources thanks to a new federal grant awarded to the University of Minnesota.
![Small, red crabapples hang from a branch covered in snow.](/sites/extension.umn.edu/files/styles/crop_featured_image_crop/public/crabapples-snow-1.jpg?h=7cb859a2&itok=67tt6ckh)
Happy holidays from the Extension horticulture team! Here's a rundown of giving ideas for you and your favorite gardener.
![Northern long-eared bat with white-nose syndrome. Image courtesy USFWS.](/sites/extension.umn.edu/files/styles/crop_featured_image_crop/public/Northern%20long%20eared%20bat%20with%20WNS%20-%20USFWS.jpg?h=77739042&itok=5czQP2Ne)
Woodland owners can help reduce pressures on northern long-eared bat populations as the species faces a rapid population decline from white-nose syndrome.
![Master Gardener Sally Jacobsen shows a group of children how to use a weaving loom.](/sites/extension.umn.edu/files/styles/crop_featured_image_crop/public/Sally-Jacobsen-teaches-weaving.jpg?h=2b9607f0&itok=8N6wCOZ8)
Volunteers lead lessons on infusing fibers with plant dyes and journaling scientific observations.
![A glossy, rubbery, green indoor plant sits next to a snowy window.](/sites/extension.umn.edu/files/styles/crop_featured_image_crop/public/ZZ%20Plant.jpg?h=d522ba69&itok=3NEPQYG2)
Also called Zanzibar gem or Zee Zee plant, the ZZ plant it is easy to find in garden stores and even easier to care for.
![Green plants in terracotta pots in a large window.](/sites/extension.umn.edu/files/styles/crop_featured_image_crop/public/Amaryllis_in_window_0.jpg?h=123abd78&itok=tpYGVXrw)
Sometimes TLC (tender loving care) can turn into TMC (too much care) especially when it comes to watering houseplants.
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