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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. Feedspot lists it as one of the top entomology blogs on the Internet. 

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A close-up of a male carpenter bee, Xylocopa tabaniformis orpifex, on a geranium in Vacaville, Calif., on Feb. 27, 2020

Trick or Treat? How About Treat?

October 30, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Trick or treat? How about treat? Please? It's for the bees.And any amount of a "treat" helps.The deadline to assist the E.L. Niño Bee Lab,  UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, in its UC Davis Crowdfund effort to fund  "The Great Native Bee Count: Mapping California’s Bee…
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Image showing Skelly's head, with Halloween decorations on the side

No Bones About It!

October 29, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 No bones about it! That was quite a surprise.A looming figure in the hallway of the Academic Surge Building, home of the Bohart Museum of Entomology, UC Davis, startled the guests attending the Bohart Museum Society's annual pre-Halloween party.It didn't look like an invited guest.It towered over…
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Title of seminar by UC Davis mosquito researcher Lisa Baik

'Inside the Vampire's Palate for Blood'

October 28, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 What a perfect title for a pre-Halloween seminar!Noted mosquito researcher Lisa Baik, assistant professor of insect biology, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, will present a seminar on "Inside the Vampire's Palate for Blood: Decoding the Mosquito Taste System" at the next Essig brunch,…
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The UC Davis Bee Haven

A Buzzworthy Honor

October 27, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Yay, Team B! "Team B," which restored, revitalized and enriched the UC Davis Bee Haven, making it "the place to bee" and a campus destination, received high recognition at the UC Davis Staff Assembly's 2026 Citation of Excellence recognition program, held at the chancellor's residence.The team is…
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UC Davis distinguished professor Frank Zalom takes an image of a Willamette vineyard showing grapevine red blotch virus in the fall.

Frank Zalom: Not Only Exceptional, Legendary

October 26, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 It was great to see UC Davis Distinguished Professor Emeritus (on recall) Frank Zalom, a legend in the world of integrated pest management and entomology for his research, teaching, mentoring and leadership, receive a  2026 College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences' Exceptional Emeritus…
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