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.

Why Wild Bees Are in Trouble

December 21, 2015

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Our nation's wild bees--which include bumble bees, squash bees and leafcutter bees--are in trouble. A newly published study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals just how much trouble.

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Santa Is a Robber Fly

December 18, 2015

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Santa may be a jolly ol' elf who gives away presents, but he is also a robber fly. Take it from UC Davis entomology student Wade Spencer. Spencer decided to create a Bohart Museum of Entomology Christmas card--an insect version--and sure enough, Santa is a robber fly.

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Tiny/Tim Not Long for This World

December 17, 2015

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

It was bound to happen. Not all monarch butterflies that you rear will make it. Such was this case this week with when two monarchs eclosed, both crippled and struggling to survive.

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A Force Awakened and to Be Reckoned With

December 16, 2015

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Moviegoers are anxious to see the long-awaited "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," which officially opens Dec. 18. But the Linnaean Games are also a force to be reckoned with-- for those who study insect science or who want to study insect science.

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The Buzz About Honey Bees and Marijuana

December 15, 2015

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Extension apiculturist emeritus Eric Mussen of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, "retired" in June of 2014 after 38 years of service but his phone and keyboard at Briggs Hall gather no dust. The honey bee guru continues to answer a range of questions.

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