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 male Valley carpenter bee engaging in nectar robber; he's drilling a hole in a foxglove to get the nectar, avoiding the pollination process. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Boy Wonder!

May 18, 2015

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

I've been waiting for a decade to see a male Valley carpenter bee (Xylocopa varipuncta) foraging in our family bee garden. The girls? Oh, yes. We see them every day. Sometimes half a dozen at a time. They're usually on the salvia or passionflower vine. The boys? No.

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Bumble bees, Bombus vosnesenskii,are nesting in a ground cavity at the Loma Vista Farm, Vallejo. (Photo by Rita LeRoy, Loma Vista Farm)

Bee-hold, the Bumble Bee Nest!

May 15, 2015

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

You've seen bumble bees in flight. You've seen the heavy pollen loads. But have you ever seen the ground nest of a bumble bee? You will if you attend the Spring Festival hosted at the Loma Vista Farm, part of the Vallejo City Unified School District, on Saturday, May 16.

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Staff research associate/beekeeper Billy Synk tending the hives at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, UC Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Our Girls Made the News!

May 14, 2015

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Did you see that amazing time-lapse video of honey bee development by Anand Varma on the National Geographic website? Varma's time-lapse video of 2500 images vividly shows the development of eggs to pupae to adults. He captured the video at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr.

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Theme of the Bohart Museum open house on May 17 is "Name that Bug! How about Bob?" This is UC Davis forensic entomologist Robert "Bob" Kimsey doing research on Alcatraz. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Name That Bug! What About Bob?

May 13, 2015

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Naming a child or a pet takes some major thought and requires some major decisions. Naming our son was easy. We opted for family names handed down 200 years ago. A puppy? When we acquired a half-St.

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Decoding reflectance signals to biotic stress in crops. Christian Nansen is at right. (Photos courtesy of Christian Nansen)

Managing Pests via Remote Sensing and the Smart Use of Fertilizers

May 12, 2015

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Christian Nansen, the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology's new agricultural entomologist will talk about his exciting research on "Remote Sensing and Smart Use of Fertilizers to Manage Pests" at 4 p.m. Thursday, May 14 in Room 2045 of Bainer Hall, UC Davis campus.

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