Bug Squad Logo

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. 

Primary Image
Monarch butterfly on an American flag. (Poto by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Memorial Day: A Somber Day

May 26, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Memorial Day: A somber dayToday we honor and mourn our U.S. military who died while serving in our Armed Forces.It was first known as Decoration Day."The first national observance of Memorial Day occurred on May 30, 1868," Wikipedia tells us. "Then known as Decoration Day and observed on May…
View Article
Primary Image
Blue orchard bee, Osmia lignaria. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Learning the Life Cycle of Bees

May 23, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 “Just like butterflies, bees undergo metamorphosis. They hatch from eggs into worm-like larvae and eat pollen and nectar until they are large enough to pupate. As they pupate, their bodies are restructured and they emerge as the adult bees we’re familiar with.”So read a poster displayed by UC Davis…
View Article
Primary Image
California Master Beekeeper Progrm banner at the mini-festival at The Hive. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A Mini-Festival Celebrating Bees

May 22, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet...But the threat of a major rainstorm did.When organizers of the California Honey Festival, held annually in downtown Woodland, postponed the 2025 event from May 3 to June 21, due to an inclement weather forecast, a mini-celebration took place at The Hive in Woodland,…
View Article
Primary Image
Bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenskii on California golden poppy. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me a Match

May 21, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 "Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make me a match, Find me a find, catch me a catch." --Fiddler on the RoofIt was great to see pollinators being matched with plants at the mini-festival hosted by The Hive, Woodland, on May 3 on what was supposed to be the date of the 2025 California Honey Festival. Worried…
View Article
Primary Image
Honey bee heading toward the Tower of Jewels, Echium wildpretii. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Celebrate World Bee Today: Bee Inspired!

May 20, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 "Bee Inspired!"Today is World Bee Day and the theme, "Bee Inspired by Nature to Nourish Us All," should not only inspire us, but motivate us. The buzzworthy event, launched by the United Nations in 2017, calls attention to the fact that more than 75 percent of the world's crops, including fruits,…
View Article