Lightning round: Bees, scorpions, yawns and lizards
Clay is off this week. Here’s a column first published Dec. 28, 2010:
It's time once again to clean out the old Valley 101 voice-mail box. It's getting a bit cluttered, a problem I usually solve by hitting *D — the delete command.
Let's get at it. Can bees fly in the rain? They can fly in light rain, but they don't like to. They use the sun for navigation, so cloudy, wet weather isn't their favorite thing.
A heavy rain can make their wings wet, slowing them down. If the raindrops are really big, they can break a bee's wing. Is it true that powdered cinnamon kills scorpions?
If it is, I couldn't find any proof of it. I am told, however, that cinnamon will chase away ants if you sprinkle some along their trails. Apparently they don't like spicy stuff.
As for scorpions, try diatomaceous earth or borax. They have little sharp crystals that cut them up.
Or try lavender. It doesn't kill scorpions. But it does deter them. I don't know why. Clayton ... *D.
I hate being called Clayton. It's not my name. Why can't I hear when I yawn?
It has to do with your Eustachian tube, also known as the pharyngotym-panic tube. It runs from your middle ear to your pharynx.
When you yawn, you temporarily close off the Eustachian tube, which makes the air pressure in your middle ear higher than the outside air. That means your eardrum can't vibrate, so your hearing is either reduced or blocked altogether while you yawn. My cat wants me to ask you where lizards go during the winter.
Your cat wants you to ask me? Oh, please, lady.
Most lizards find a safe place to snuggle down and hibernate, although they may come out on warm days.