Bug Squad Logo

Bug Squad

Bug Squad blog image depicts a honey bee sting in action.

Welcome to the Bug Squad blog! The Bug Squad blog was launched Aug. 6, 2008 and is a daily blog (Monday through Friday). It showcases entomologists and the work they do.  The blog focuses on scientists in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, the Bohart Museum of Entomology, Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, the UC Davis Bee Haven, and assorted campuswide events, including UC Davis Picnic Day, UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day, and Bohart Museum open houses. The blog spotlights insects, including bees, butterflies, dragonflies, and praying mantises, as well as arachnids such as jumping spiders and crab spiders. Author and photographer is Kathy Keatley Garvey, communications specialist, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, and a longtime journalist and community scientist with two degrees from Washington State University.  She is a member of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) and the Association for Communication Excellence (ACE). Her blog posts and images have won international awards from ACE and ESA and appeared on journal and magazine covers. She shoots primarily with a Nikon Z-8 mirrorless camera, a Nikon D500 and Nikon 800, with assorted macro lenses. 

Primary Image
So many colors to choose from! A young artist working on his Maggot Art. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Maggot Art at UC Davis Picnic Day: Just Me and My Maggot

April 10, 2023
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Do you like to blend science with art, or is there a budding young artist in your family? Then you may want to create Maggot Art, a hands-on activity offered by the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology during the 109th annual UC Davis Picnic Day celebration on Saturday, April 15.
View Article
Primary Image
A sick bee crawling on a leaf. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

USDA-ARS Researcher Targeting Honey Bee Health Decline

April 7, 2023
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
If you're interested in the honey bee health decline--and you should be--then you'll want to listen to what research associate Christopher Mayack of the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Davis, says about "Chemical Biomarkers and the Physiological Underpinnings of Honey Bee Health Decline"...
View Article
Primary Image
Britanny Kohler, then a member of the UC Davis Entomology Club, works the roach race track in this 2022 image. She is a UC Davis alumna and a research associate at the Bohart Museum of Entomology. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

What's a Picnic Without Bugs?

April 4, 2023
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
What's a picnic without bugs? UC Davis entomologists--students, faculty, staff and emeriti--will set up educational and entertaining displays at the 109th annual UC Davis Picnic Day, set Saturday, April 15.
View Article