Bug Squad

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.

A Bee Is a Bee Is a Bee,,,

March 14, 2016

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

If poet Gertrude Stein were alive today, she might say "A bee is a bee is a bee" instead of "a rose is a rose is a rose." Or, she might say "A fly is a fly is a fly." Oh, my.

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Skeeters in the Gift Shop

March 11, 2016

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Mosquitoes have their place. Fossil records confirm that mosquitoes existed at least 200 million years ago. Today we know that they are responsible for such diseases as malaria, yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya, West Nile and Zika. Globally, millions die of mosquito-borne diseases annually.

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Plant 'em and They Will Come

March 10, 2016

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

In the movie, "Field of Dreams," an Iowa corn farmer hears a voice whispering "If you build it, he will come." Apparently thinking this is the voice of his father, the farmer plows under his corn and builds a baseball field. We are hearing a similar whisper as spring approaches.

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'A' Is for Almonds and 'Z' Is for Zamora

March 9, 2016

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

"A" is for almonds and "Z" is for Zamora. Mark your calendar for Tuesday, March 15 for a two-hour workshop, "Almond Pollination and Orchard Pollinator Planters" in Zamora, Yolo County. It's free and open to the public.

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Check Your Citrus Trees for Signs of This Pest

March 8, 2016

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

If you're a California commercial citrus grower or a homeowner with a citrus tree on your property, be sure to check for signs of the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). Think ACP. Think HLB. Think ASAP.

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