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. 

MOSQUITO RESEARCHER Tara Thiemann, a doctoral candidate, UC Davis Department of Entomology, is the recipient of the William C. Reeves New Investigator Award. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

New Breed of Scientists

March 9, 2010
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
William C. Reeves (1916-2004) would have been proud. Remember William "Bill" Reeves? A renowned entomologist, professor and dean at UC Berkeley, he was widely regarded as the world's foremost authority on the spread and control of mosquito-borne diseases.
View Article
Picture-winged fly (Ceroxys latiusculus) (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Tracking the Picture-Winged Fly

March 8, 2010
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Honey bees, bumble bees, hover flies, parasitoids and common houseflies aren't the only visitors paying their respects to our two nectarine trees. A picture-winged fly (Ceroxys latiusculus) dropped in on Feb. 28 for a quick visit.
View Article
BLACK-FACED BUMBLE BEE (Bombus californicus) gathering pollen in a California poppy. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Saving the Native Bees in Yolo County

March 5, 2010
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Xerces Society scientists just developed a first-of-its-kind conservation strategy summarizing the threats facing native bees in the diverse landscapes of Yolo County and identifying measures to protect them. And what a great conservation--and conservation--piece this is.
View Article
THIS COLLECTION of bees, by native pollinator specialist Robbin Thorp, shows the wide diversity of bees in Yolo County. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

So Many Bees

March 3, 2010
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Folks accustomed to seeing only honey bees (which are non-natives) buzzing around their yard probably aren't aware that in the United States alone there are some 4000 identified species of native bees. And they probably aren't aware of The Bee Course.
View Article
Subscribe