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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. 

A yellowjacket entering its nest at an apiary. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

What to Do About Yellowjackets

October 14, 2013
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
The question begged for an answer. "It's yellowjacket time again. Does anyone have or recommend a good trap?" A Bay Area beekeeper today sought recommendations from ledEric Mussen, Extension apiculturist with the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.
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A pair of mating Gulf Fritillary butterflies on a passionflower vine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Good Things Come in Twos, Too!

October 11, 2013
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
There's an old saying that "good things come in threes." Well, they also come in twos. When insect photographers manage to get two insects in the same photo, it's a "two-for.
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Squash bee, Peponapis pruinosa. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

All About Pollination

October 10, 2013
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Pollination--what should we know? How can we attract pollinators to our gardens and agricultural landscapes? Rachael Long, Yolo County farm advisor and director of the Yolo County Cooperative Extension program, has lined up a group of outstanding speakers at her Pollination Workshop on Friday, Oct.
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Steve Daubert checks out the caterpillar of a moth, an Arctiid. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

In Search of Butterflies

October 8, 2013
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
What an enthusiastic group that gathered for Steve Daubert's "Butterfly Ecology Talk and Tour" on Sunday morning, Sept. 29 on the Wyatt Deck, UC Davis Arboretum. Sponsored by the UC Davis Arboretum, the free event drew a plethora of butterfly enthusiasts of all ages, plus several canines.
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