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.

Honey bee heading for Euryops. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Time for a Spray of Sunshine

December 16, 2013

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

It's time for a spray of sunshine. The golden daisy bush (genus Euryops, family Asteraeae), will do that to you. The popular perennial both brightens your garden and attracts honey bees and other insects. The name originates from "eurys," Greek for "large" and "ops," meaning eye.

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A sculpture of Bernard the Beekeeper graces the entrance to Melissa's Garden, Healdsburg. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Attracting Pollinators to Your Garden

December 13, 2013

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

"How to Attract and Maintain Pollinators in Your Garden." That's the title of a new publication by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) and what a gem this is. It's not only a gem, but it's free. You can download the publication on this site.

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The freezing temperatures make us yearn for almond pollination season. This photo was taken Feb. 10, 2013 in the Matthew Turner Shipyard Park, Benicia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Is It Spring Yet?

December 12, 2013

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

These freezing temperatures we're experiencing make us yearn for spring. True, it's still autumn and winter doesn't officially start until Dec. 22, but it's a good time to think of honey bees pollinating the almond blossoms. California almonds usually bloom around mid-February.

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Noted entomologist Jerry Powell, director emeritus of the Essig Museum of Entomology, UC Berkeley, volunteers at the Bohart Museum. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Supporting the Bohart Museum

December 11, 2013

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

If you're looking for a cause to support, consider the Bohart Museum of Entomology at the University of California, Davis. The museum crew, led by director Lynn Kimsey, professor of entomology at UC Davis, is enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and dedicated.

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This wood duck box is being used as a bee hive in The Bee Sanctuary on the UC Davis campus. Examining it is Derek Downey who directs The Bee Collective and The Bee Sanctuary. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Ducks Vs. Bees

December 10, 2013

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

In March of 2012 when we were touring The Bee Collective's Bee Sanctuary near The Domes on the UC Davis campus with beekeeper/manager Derek Downey, we remember seeing an unusual "bee hive"--a wood duck box, moved there from a rural location after swarming honey bees claimed it.

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