Bugs. Do you squirm when you hear the word? Or do creepy, crawly multi-legged
and multicolored insects fascinate you?
If you're not one to scream and run when you see a spider or beetle and
you're fascinated by what they eat, where they live, how they reproduce and
what their purpose is, perhaps you should consider a career in entomology.
Most entomologists will say they loved bugs as kids. They had insect collections,
belonged to a nature club or were just fascinated with bugs in general. But
Joan Herbers, a professor of biology at Colorado State University, will tell
you different.
"I wasn't a kid that liked bugs," says Herbers. This is surprising, considering
she's been working with ants for over 25 years. But entomology was not the
career Herbers originally had in mind.
"I took a very indirect route [to entomology]," says Herbers, adding her
studies were leading her into engineering. It wasn't until she took an entomology
class in university that she changed her focus. Now, Herbers says she loves
everything she does.
"It's a real intellectual challenge," she says, "and you're always looking
for answers to problems."
Having a natural curiosity to look for answers is a necessary skill for
entomologists. Other key skills are being creative, having patience, and being
able to persevere through years of research work.
"Anything having to do with fieldwork generally takes three to five years,"
says entomologist Mark Goettel.
Goettel is currently working on two projects -- researching potato beetles
and grasshoppers. Although the grasshopper project is slowly being phased
out, he spent the last 10 years researching and studying these pests.
"Entomologists also require a lot of creativity," adds Goettel. "It's often
the person that comes up with the wackiest ideas who arrives at the solution."
And working independently is also essential, adds Goettel. "Every scientist
runs his or her own experiments," meaning you're often your own boss when
it comes to research work.
Jerry Butler is a professor of medical-veterinary entomology at the University
of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. He says entomologists are hired to research
and develop a certain area. But the type of research they do is usually unrestricted.
"You can shape the direction of your job," says Butler. He is currently
the only veterinary entomologist in Florida. "You can develop any area of
research you're interested in." That's one reason he finds his job both interesting
and fun.
Entomologist Todd Reichardt enjoys the flexibility his job offers. What
started as a boyhood hobby of collecting insects has now become an extremely
enjoyable career for him.
Reichardt says his job focuses on two areas: pest management for urban
forests and the mosquito control program within his city and surrounding areas.
Pest management is an integral part of Reichardt's daily activities.
He and his technician study the trees and parkland (or turf) in city parks
to prevent insect pests from becoming a problem. When a new park is built,
Reichardt can recommend what trees are the most hardy, which ones will attract
certain bugs and what types of natural grasses are best suited to the new
green space.
But Reichardt's job involves a lot more than just park development and
pest control. He also spends time speaking at schools and raising public awareness
about insects. He has also been known to take along his bug collection, which
consists of a tarantula, some walking sticks and a giant millipede.
"I still have my boyhood interest in bugs," admits Reichardt. "It's a fascination.
I still can't believe how intricate insects look."
The fact that there are more than 400,000 species of beetles in the world
-- more than any other species of animal -- also fascinates Reichardt. However,
this same fascination can also be frustrating because there is still so much
information on insects that needs to be researched.
"The hardest part of my job is not always having all the information you
need," explains Reichardt. With so many species to research, the thought of
never knowing everything can be a little overwhelming.
So entomologists need to be able to look at the big picture. "Bugs are
only one part of the puzzle of nature," says Reichardt. "You should have a
well-rounded knowledge of what affects the insect and what the insect affects."
In other words, just studying bugs isn't enough. You need to be well-rounded
in all of the sciences.
Butler echoes this advice. "Take as many of the basic science classes as
you can," he says.
He believes the more well-rounded you are, the more successful you'll be
in the field of entomology.
Entomology is about bugs, but it's also about science and about communicating
your findings to others. Many entomologists, like Butler and Herbers, spend
a large portion of their time teaching and administrating as well as researching.
"Good communication skills are at the top of the list," says Herbers. She
adds that she currently spends about half of her day writing to communicate.
She says analytical skills and math skills are also important, but she can't
reinforce communication skills enough.
"You have to know how to read, write and speak well."
Reichardt now spends more time in his office than the lab. He spends a
lot of time communicating with people -- schoolchildren, members of city government,
people at community center meetings and at public open houses, and the media.
"You have to be able to communicate verbally and orally," says Reichardt,
"and you have to be able to justify your arguments."
Communication skills also come into play when entomologists have to try
and "sell" their ideas to those providing funding. "You have to be able to
establish a rapport with both growers [farmers] and other scientists," says
Goettel. "You have to be a salesman."
Besides having a good knowledge of the sciences and excellent communication
skills, entomologists must also be able to work independently as well as in
a team. Entomologists must be able to ask a question, problem solve through
research and then present their findings to their colleagues and, in some
cases, the public.
Yet aside from the various skills needed, entomology still comes back to
insects, their habitats, the problems they cause and the good things they
do.
If you're curious, creative and a good problem solver, then a career in
entomology might be just what you're looking for. And most importantly, Goettel
reminds us, "You have to like bugs."