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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. 

Landmark Book Addresses California Bees, Blooms

December 6, 2016
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
If you're looking for a holiday gift for family and friends--or maybe yourself--think bees and blooms. Specifically, California bees and blooms. Even more specifically, undomesticated bees (that is, not honey bees).
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What Are Those Red and Black Bugs on Milkweed?

December 5, 2016
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Got milkweed? Then you probably have milkweed bugs. All summer and into fall, we spotted the familiar reddish, black and white bugs scurrying around on our showy milkweed, Asclepias speciosa, and tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica. Showy bugs on showy milkweed.
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How We Can Help the Bees Through Research

December 2, 2016
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
How can we help honey bees through research? That's the topic that Francis Ratnieks, professor of apiculture, University of Sussex, United Kingdom, will cover when he presents a seminar on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at the University of California, Davis.
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Holiday Gifts Buggin' Ya?

December 1, 2016
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
So you're in a quandary. You have no idea what to get the nature lovers/insect enthusiasts on your holiday gift-giving list. It's buggin' ya. No worries. The UC Davis Entomology Graduate Students' Association (EGSA) to the rescue.
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Norm Gary: Jazz Is Music to His Ears--But So Are the Bees

November 30, 2016
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Jazz is music to his ears, but so are the bees. He's been beekeeping and playing the clarinet for 69 years. Meet Norman Gary of Citrus Heights, UC Davis emeritus professor of entomology who retired in 1994 after a 32-year academic career.
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