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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. 

There's a Black Widow Spider in the Parade!

April 26, 2017
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
The venomous black widow spider (Latrodectus hesperus) is usually found in and around wood piles, beneath stones and rubble, and in cluttered areas of basements, sheds and garages. It can strike fear in the hearts of non-biologists.
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Why Dead Bees Can Sting

April 25, 2017
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Can dead bees sting? Yes, they can. Here's the scenario: Our pollinator garden is buzzing with the sights and sounds of honey bees. Ah, spring! A few feet away, California scrub jays are nesting in the cherry laurel hedges. They leave periodically to gather food for their young.
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Show Me the Honey--And They Did!

April 24, 2017
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Show me the honey! That was a popular refrain at the 103rd annual UC Davis Picnic Day, held Saturday, April 22. The UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology showed thousands of folks the honey at its Briggs Hall exhibit, "Honey Tasting.
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Seeing Spots at the Bohart

April 21, 2017
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
If you walk into the Bohart Museum of Entomology at the University of California, Davis, you'll see spots. No, don't contact your local opthamologist. Contact your local entomologist. This is Bug Country.
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