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)

When Varroa Mites Hitch a Ride

March 1, 2016
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Those blood-sucking varroa mites (Varroa destructor) are considered the No. 1 enemy of beekeepers. In powerful numbers and weakened colonies, they can overwhelm and collapse a hive. We remember seeing a varroa mite attached to a foraging honey bee one warm summer day in our pollinator garden.
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Why the Water Bear Is So Unusual

February 25, 2016
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Imagine you're a tardigrade, aka water bear or moss piglet. You're microscopic but you're nearly indestructible. You can survive being heated to 304 degrees Fahrenheit or being chilled for days at -328 F. And if you're frozen for 30 years, you can still reproduce.
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Dengue: Yes, You Can Get It Again

February 24, 2016
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Medical entomologists are learning more and more about Aedes aegypti, the daytime-biting mosquito that prefers human blood. The mosquito transmits the Zika virus, currently "the" hot medical topic. But it also transmits dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya viruses. Especially dengue.
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