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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Fanmail from the Natural History Museum

Natural History Museum: Exploratory Conversation?
November 9, 2009
Hi,
I work at the Natural History Museum in Expo Park. I am managing a project through which the museum will create 3 acres of outdoor green space on the north side of our building. We are aiming to create a place for our visitors to engage with local, urban, nature, including (my favourite, and it seems your’s too) insects! I would love to chat with you more about this project and about What’s That Bug.
Lila Higgins

We will contact Lila as soon as we have a spare moment.

Posted 10 November 2009 § Uncategorized ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

College Level Insect Collection doesn’t dispell Fear of Insects

Real Fear of Bugs
November 7, 2009
Hi WTB,
I am taking a General Biology II course at a university and part of our grade includes presenting an insect collection. I cannot understand why we even have to do it for many reasons. First, we have to go out and find and kill 35 species, from at least 10 different orders, and key out 17 different families. This is not an entomology course whatsoever, just a biology class that entails the study of evolution, and the different Domains and Kingdoms. Only 2 days out of a semester were even discussed about insects.
Can someone please tell me how anyone can stand insects and bugs? Or am I missing out on something here? I am scared of “bugs” in general because I have had too many frightening encounters with them crawling on me and yes, biting me. I’ve always told my husband that when I die, to please cremate me just because I hate bugs and do not want them around me even when I am dead.
So the Insect Collection, to me, is a waste of my time since I am killing what some believe are just co-habitants of our world; and, because after 10 weeks, I still don’t like them. I guess this is supposed to teach me to appreciate them, but the more photos I see of insects during my countless hours of trying to identify and classify them, the more I fear them. Perhaps I was killed by insects in my previous life, I don’t know. I just don’t get it.
And I know you’ll hate me for mentioning this part, but the one thing that I have learned from my project is how to kill them. Otherwise, what do you suggest for someone like me to truly overcome the fear of them? Are there any bugs that you do suggest killing? To me, it’s fair game, if a bug is inside my house, it’s a dead bug. I certainly hope that statement won’t “come back to bite me.”
Just Don’t Like Them
Southern Nevada

Midge

Midge

Dear Just Don’t Like Them,
We doubt that we would have any more luck trying to convince you of the virtues of insects than we did last night trying to convince our coworker Sharon the Speech instructor of the value and savoriness of eggplant as a culinary ingredient.  Sharon dislikes eggplant and you dislike insects, period.  As to the merits of the insect collection in your biology class, we hesitate to question the academic freedom of a fellow educator.  We can say that it is far easier to teach taxonomy through an insect collection than through a bird collection.  We do not hate you for your comment about killing, and we doubt that this activity will continue once the semester is completed.  We don’t know how to help you overcome your fear, and we do not think your phobia warrants psychiatric attention provided it does not seriously affect your ability to function, which clearly by your letter it does not.  In the end, while you may never develop any love for the insect kingdom, and while your fear may never dissipate, we hope that at least you will appreciate the necessary niche that insects fill in the subtle balance of the web of life on our planet.  Good luck with your class and your collection.  We suspect that you are probably at the top of your class when it comes to assessing the performance rates of your fellow students.

Posted 07 November 2009 § Midges ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Fanmail

Inspiring Site – just another fanmail
November 5, 2009
I’m still currently trudging my way through your gigantic archive and loving it. I was always a bug lover, but I’ve learned so much and been able to happily identify bugs in my area I’ve seen around (Including the sudden swam of Polkadot Wasp Moths and Oleander Caterpillars). I’ve also pleased to learn that many bugs I was afraid of are perfectly harmless (Mostly various wasp species.). Also while going through your site, I had a nerdy artist sort of epiphany: Insects are like living art. So many have such wonderful color schemes and designs. Even bugs with neutral colors can be incredibly striking. Ever since I’ve been making a collection of photos off your site for color scheme references in my own art. It’s wonderful that there are some very good professional and amateur photographe rs contributing with their photos. Anyway, thanks so much for providing this service and your own educating comments. I look forward to finishing your archives.
Regards,
Casey

Thanks for the sweet email Casey.

Posted 05 November 2009 § Uncategorized ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Fanmail

Very Entertained.
October 27, 2009
I know you guys get messages and comments all the time saying how wonderful your site is. But, I just wanted to add one more things to your list of comments. Your site is very entertaining to me. I cought myself staying up til 4 in the morning just looking at all of the different kinds of bugs you guys have posted. I know, I’m a nerd. I am just so creeped out yet intrigued by insects. Especially the spiders. I always see an interesting bug and try to stop and look at it but my husband doesn’t seem as entertained by it as me so I have to move along. Now that I have found your site I can look at bugs for hours on end. I also love it because I am a new mommy and every time I see a new bug in the house or around my newborn, I wonder what dangers it is bringing or if it is beneficial. You he lp those worries go away. Thanks and keep up the great work!
Amber suarez

Thanks for your sweet letter Amber.  We always like getting new fans.  Since we have no plans to disappear from the internet, when your child begins to grow, hopefully you will be able to use us as an educational tool.

How do I become a member?
I’m sure this question has a very obvious answer but how on earth do i become a member to this site? I have looked high n low but only found one place where it says log in but nothing about registering.. Do I have to make a donation to be a member? Thanks again for taking time to reply to my previous babble. :)
Amber

Hi Amber,
Our site does not have a membership.  Anyone may write in, but alas, we are unable to post every submission we receive.  We select letters at random, often based on the subject line of the email.  Our services are free to anyone, but again, sending in an identification request is no indication that you will receive a response.  Though we do have a donation option, this is entirely voluntary, and donating to the site is never a guarantee that your letter will be posted.  Since we are such a small operation, we cannot provide unlimited access.  Thanks again for your interest.

Posted 27 October 2009 § Uncategorized ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Unnecessary Carnage and Fanmail

Thank you
October 3, 2009
I just submitted a question for you, and forgot to tell you how much myself and my boys enjoy your site. I have two boys, 8 & 3, who are fascinated by bugs. While I am not squeamish of bugs, and don’t believe in unnecessary carnage, I am not an expert or even a student of insects.
I also homeschool my boys. Your site, and bugguide.net have helped me immensely in identifying various specimens that they find. Both sites have also helped me turn their curiousity into a teaching moment. Your unecessary carnage comments have helped me make the same points to them, (it isn’t just momma’s opinion anymore) and my oldest has gained an understanding of each creature having a place in the cycle of life.
Thank you for your labors!!
The Koelbls of Noth Alabama

Posted 03 October 2009 § Uncategorized ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Car Grill Road Kill

Unavoidable Carnage?
September 29, 2009
Hi Daniel
This is not an ID request and I am not suggesting a new category – I just thought you might find this interesting. I habitually check my grill after a road trip to see what I missed, or more correctly, what I hit but might have seen had I stopped more frequently to look around. Here’s what can happen during a late summer trip down some prairie country roads. I hasten to add that this was not my truck; I have never been quite so morbidly “successful”. I wonder if anyone has thought of using vehicle grill counts as a way of conducting insect surveys.  Regards.
Karl

Car Grill Insect Collection

Car Grill Insect Collection

Hi Karl,
This photo is actually quite gorgeous, despite the great loss of life.

Car Grill Close Up

Car Grill Close Up

Posted 29 September 2009 § Uncategorized ‡ Comments (2) ° Also tagged:

Fanmail: Starting an Insect Collection

Hi. I’ve been browsing this site for a while, but this is my first post.
I teach a group of four-year-olds, and among the many, many things I find myself repeating daily is “Let it be! Insects are helpers!” with respect to whatever critter my kids have discovered, whether indoors or on the playground (of course, when something is discovered inside the classroom, we find a way to get it outside).
The children, of course, are fascinated by insects, and, while insects’ identities could be taught through photographs and books, to teach the children to appreciate and respect animals and their purposes is best reinforced in practice. That is, to tell a child that a spider is beneficial and to smash it in front of him is counterproductive.
Unnecessary carnage and a lost moment for education. Terrible shame.
However, because of the age of the children I teach and their tendency toward kinesthetic learning, we do have an insect collection in the room. I want to teach respect, not hypocrisy, so the insects pinned to the board were all found dead. When a child finds an empty exoskeleton or a fallen butterfly on the playground, we pin it to the board and talk about what it is and how it might have come to its current state. Then, of course, comes the “Insects help us” talk.
I try to balance respect for a child’s preferred method of study with respect for the insects themselves. This is why we have only pre-deceased findings in our collection, imperfect though they may be when they are found.
To rely on photographs alone is a difficult way to keep kids interested. They need to experience more than an image can allow. An insect, living or dead, that is in front of the children makes it relevant to them and gives them more patience to listen while we talk about that insect.
Occasionally, however, my philosophies are put to the test, as was the case the day I found an adult, female black widow spider scooting across the playground. I had to get her off the playground and far, far away from my class. There was a considerable amount of panicking on my part, but no one was harmed, and the children learned that, even though we shouldn’t hurt any minding its own business, there are some creatures that, when discovered, need to be reported to mom and dad.
shellyc

Hi shellyc,
Though your letter arrived as a comment on a previous posting regarding the merits of starting an insect collection, we felt it needed to stand alone as well and post to our homepage.  Thanks for your valuable perspective on this point.

Posted 27 September 2009 § Uncategorized ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Fanmail

September 25, 2009
To answer your queston, quote: “Are we experts yet?” Heck yes! I’m a young teen and aspiring entomologist, and I love everything about bugs! And so, you can imagine my wonder and awe when I found a bug ID Page! Keep up the good work!
Steel

Posted 26 September 2009 § Uncategorized ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

A New Insect Website

September 16, 2009
Hi Daniel…It has been a very long time since we last chatted, so I hope all is well! I see you are still going crazy with WTB and writing a book as well (how the hell do you guys fit it all in with your other responsibilities????), so kudos for that!!
My son wound up at he Cleveland Institute of Art and is studying glass and is totally loving it. My other son, is heading to Drexel tomorrow to study film and video and hopefully to make movies! Maybe a documentary about glass blowing or bugs!!
I wanted to let you know that I developed a website and just put it up online. It is totally dedicated to those of us that are completely addicted to bugs and I hope it will become an outlet like your site for them to get a fix, when insect rehab is simply out of the questions or the perils of bug withdrawal (like winter in the northeast) are knocking on the door.
I thought you and your WTB aficionados might really enjoy it. It is called Bug Addiction: Confessions of a Bug Addict and is at www.bugaddiction.com
Look forward to hearing from you and your thoughts on the website….Dave
David Moskowitz

Hi David,
We are thrilled to promote your new website.  We will take the time to peruse it this weekend.

Posted 17 September 2009 § Uncategorized ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Fanmail and Nostalgia

Love the site! Made me feel like a kid again!
September 9, 2009
I just wanted to say what a pleasure it has been to peruse your site this evening…er, morning I guess it is now. I grew up on my grandparents’ truck-farm (purple-hull peas, okra, tomatoes, the whole nine yards) so I was naturally turned toward biology at an early age.

We had neither air-conditioning or cable TV so I spent most of my waking hours outside getting scratched, poisoned, and bitten by anything I could find to study in the woods, in the fields, in the barn, and around the two creeks that cut through the property.

I just wanted to say that it was nice to dig around your site and finally find out the true names of some of the “critters” that fascinated my grandfather and myself for so many years. Growing up the way I did led to a deep-seated love of nature and a longing to learn everything I could about it. By the time I was ten this had turned into a full blown obsession with biology….well, marine biology. I loved fish…sorry, bug-people. :-)

Unfortunately life usually doesn’t work the way we’d like and I chose to give up the studies I had longed for in order to pursue a career I could actually pay bills and support a family with. Believe me, what I wanted to do as a MARBie is friendly to neither family or finances.

But I’ve allowed myself to get off track…so in the interest of limiting how much of your time I waste I’ll try to wrap this up. Long story short: I love your site. It allows me to step back into the days of laying in the grass, getting itchy from God-knows-what, watching bugs do their thing. My life has taken a more…normal turn than I would have ever thought and I’m afraid I have made myself forget most of the science I once loved in the interest of “making it” in everyday life. As hard as I try, however, I can’t seem to completely push out the memories of my first love.

I know now that I will never get that degree in marine biology that I can remember dreaming about before I even knew what it was called, but visiting this wonderful site gives this overweight soon-to-be cop a window into his past and a chance to interact with those of you who are lucky enough to be living the dream.

I salute you, bug people, and I hope you will receive the thanks of this former fish guy for taking time out of your lives to put together this site. I know there are more urgent things out there you could be doing.

I’m sorry this ran so long, despite my best efforts it appears I got into quite a babbling spree. I appreciate it if you’ve stuck with me this long. I just wanted to express how I felt about finding your site. Thank you again for putting it together. :-)

—Kris
Vidor, TX

ps: I’m currently between jobs thanks to this great economy of ours and an exceedingly long application process at my next place of employment, so since my schedule is open I think I might take tomorrow to go roll around in some poisonous plants and try to take some pictures of some cool bugs. If I get anything good I might just throw them your way.

Posted 09 September 2009 § Uncategorized ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Unnecessary Carnage Champion

Awesome!
September 5, 2009
Hey there!
I just happened to stumble onto your site thru a series of random clicking on the internet. Just wanted to say you guys are awesome for pointing out when people have needlessly killed a bug. Personally, though I am not a huge fan of bugs, I think it is ridiculous to kill one just because it looks “gross” or you don’t want it in your house. I’m sure you can relate to the crazy looks I get when I tell people I don’t kill bugs, I simply put them outside unless they are a threat to my pets. Even then, I have months of guilt afterwards! Sorry to ramble, just nice to see that there are still people out there who also see the idiocy of someone shrieking “kill it, kill it” at the top of their lungs while throwing things at a tiny and often defenseless bug whose only offense was to walk across the living room floor. Thanks for showing people how unreasonable they’re being!
Amy

Posted 05 September 2009 § Uncategorized ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Unnecessary Carnage: Sharing the Title

Butterfly Gardens in Costa Rica asking if we may adopt the term unnecessary carnage
August 11, 2009
Myself and the volunteers at the Monteverde Butterfly Gardens were looking over your site the other day (we use it for IDs that people ask us for), and came across the Unnecessary Carnage page and were so happy and impressed! We laughed so hard that we all ended up in tears, peoples over dramatic response to calling out their (is there any better way to put it? We don’t think so) Unnecessary Carnage was hysterical. Taking people on educational bug tours all day long means that we all inevitably end up hearing tales of harmless arthropods meeting gruesome ends. We have all tried to come up with equally offensive retorts to these horrid tales of violence, however we feel that that your term really hits the nail into the Dobson fly. Therefore we entomologist and bug loving volunteers her e at the butterfly gardens ask we if may officially adopt the term Unnecessary Carnage and use it in our educational programming.
We are Very thankful for your hard work. We want you know that down here in Costa Rica you have a group of people who will be using your term as an act of solidarity for all those of us who flight to protect bugs every day of our lives!
Muchas gracias!
Bryna Belisle
Manager,
Monteverde butterfly gardens Costa Rica

Dear Bryna,
By all mean, use the term Unnecessary Carnage as a means to educate the public.  We are honored that entomologists in Costa Rica think the term is appropriate.

Posted 11 August 2009 § Uncategorized ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

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