Pest Control Technology magazine announced the winner of the 8th annual Best Pest Photo Contest: Timothy Joner, office manager of Palmetto Exterminators, Greenville, S.C.

Joner takes top honors (and a cash prize of $500) for his up-close photo of a honey bee (Apis mellifera) atop of a sunflower which one judge describes as having the 3 Cs for winning: color, clarity and composition.

On a trip to his mother's house in Northern Greenville County South Carolina, Joner stopped off at a field and encountered a group of bees that were "having a field day" with sunflower plants. The picture was taken by a Nikon D80 with a Tamron 90 mllimeter macro lens.

"I like the fact the picture actually tells all the details of the bee, all the way down to its hairs. I also like the contrast between the black and yellow, and that the photo shows the bee in its natural environment, it shows what they are seeing," Joner said.

Joner, who has worked for Palmetto Exterminators the past four years, does photography as a hobby and has photographed other insects such as wasps, butterflies, termites and fire ants.

"Since joining Palmetto Exterminators in August 2005, I developed a love for photographing insects," he said. "Capturing bugs and pests in their natural habitats provides a great entomology training tool for our technicians and provides an educational opportunity for our customers."