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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. 

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This is a screen shot of a YouTube video, the work of Christine Casey, academic program management officer for the UC Davis Bee Haven.

UC Davis Project Aims to Help Children Learn About Bees

February 16, 2022
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
The excited looks on the children's faces as they enter the bee garden. The wonder of it all as they touch a huge sculpture of a worker bee that anchors the garden. The information they glean, process and retain as they learn about the importance of bees.
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A pollen-packing honey bee heads a patch of daffodils on the UC Davis campus. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Ever Seen a Honey Bee Foraging on a Daffodil?

February 15, 2022
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Ever seen a honey bee foraging on a daffodil? In the early spring, blooms are few and far between. Daffodils are not usually considered "bee plants." But if nothing else is blooming, bees will head over to the daffodils. On a Feb.
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