Bug Squad

A daily (M-F) blog launched Aug. 6, 2008 and about the wonderful world of insects and those who study them. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
An aggressive caterpillar attacks another 'cat trying to pupate. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Curiosity Didn't Kill the 'Cat

September 20, 2018
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Curiosity didn't kill the 'cat. An aggressive 'cat did. We were delighted to find 10 monarch caterpillars (the first of the year!) on our narrowleaf milkweed a couple of weeks ago in our Vacaville pollinator garden--but not so delighted to see what happened to one of them.
View Article
Photographer Allan Jones of Davis focuses his camera on insects in the Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Photographer Allan Jones Exudes Patience, Skill and Talent

September 19, 2018
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Photographer Allan Jones of Davis exudes patience, skill and talent from the moment he enters the Hagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven, a half-acre bee friendly garden operated by the University of California, Davis, Department of Entomology and Nematology on Bee Biology Road.
View Article
This catch-and-release activity is especially popular among children in the Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven. They catch, examine and release bees, including honey bees, bumble bees and carpenter bees. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

'Bee There' Saturday at the UC Davis Bee Garden

September 18, 2018
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Want to learn more about bees, and what to plant to attract them to your garden? The Hagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven, a half-acre bee garden operated by the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, will host an open house, the last one of 2018, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 22.
View Article
Don't bug me, I'm trying to wake up. This female Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipuncta, peers over a blue spike salvia (Salvia uliginosa) blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Valley Carpenter Bees: Drama in the Garden

September 14, 2018
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Some folks call them "bumble bees," but they're not. In size, the female Valley carpenter bee (Xylocopa varipuncta) resembles a bumble bee, but certainly not in color. The female Valley carpenter is solid black with metallic wings.
View Article
Subscribe