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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. 

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UC Davis distinguished professor Frank Zalom takes an image of a Willamette vineyard showing grapevine red blotch virus in the fall.

Frank Zalom: Not Only Exceptional, Legendary

October 26, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 It was great to see UC Davis Distinguished Professor Emeritus (on recall) Frank Zalom, a legend in the world of integrated pest management and entomology for his research, teaching, mentoring and leadership, receive a  2026 College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences' Exceptional Emeritus…
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Queen bee and retinue. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Amazing World of Bees

October 23, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Bee scientists, beekeepers and "bee people" should be interested in this!Noted bee scientist Robert E. Page Jr. examines the nurse-to-forager transition in honey bees in an entirely different perspective in newly published research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).Page, a…
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Variety of crops that sustain nematode damage.

The War Between Nematodes and California Crops

October 22, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 It's a war out there...a war between nematodes and California crops.UC Davis Professor Shahid Siddique, the Howard Ferris Endowed Chair in Plant and Soil Nematodes, will speak on "From Mechanism to Management: Understanding Nematode Parasitism to Protect California Crops" at the next UC Davis…
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Stick insect on a hand at Bohart Museum of Entomology

UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day Set

October 21, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Mark your calendar! The 16th annual UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day, a free and family friendly public event billed as "A Super Science Day" or "A Day of Science" is set for Saturday, Feb. 27.It's an opportunity to connect one-on-one with the scientists and see the displays of various museums…
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Honey bee in flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Join the Pre-Halloween Party at the UC Davis Bee Haven

October 20, 2026
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
  How does the UC Davis Bee Haven celebrate Halloween?With a free, pre-Halloween party, set from 3 to 5 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 28.It will take place at The Haven, a half-acre demonstration pollinator garden located at 1 Bee Biology Road, off Hopkins Road."The pollinators are getting into the…
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