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

Primary Image
A honey bee foraging on manzanita in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology's Honey Bee Haven on Bee Biology Road. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

UC Davis-Based Projects: To Bee or Not to Bee?

February 26, 2021
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
To bee or not to bee? That's a crucial question as the UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day/Month, Honey Bee Haven and the California Master Beekeeper Program scramble for funds between now and Sunday, Feb. 28. That's when the UC Davis-authorized crowdfunding drive ends.
View Article
Primary Image
A Madagascar hissing cockroach from the Bohart Museum of Entomology, UC Davis. This is similar to what Bruce Hammock was rearing for a research project. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

When Bruce Hammock's Cockroaches Achieved Stardom

February 23, 2021
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
If you're meandering around the UC Riverside campus and see a cockroach, it might have a connection to UC Davis distinguished professor Bruce Hammock. This is a story of what might have been that never was and never will be and it all has to do with Hammock's cockroaches.
View Article