Thankful Thursday: Entomology 101

I did it....I took the plunge. I told my 8 year old that he could sign up for Entomology for his first year of 4-H.

Entomology - according to the Wikipedia, is the study of insects.

Yes, bugs.

Creepy Crawlies.

Heebie Jeebies.

Whatever you want to call them.

Do you know the best way to preserve bugs? I didn't, until a few weeks ago.

Freeze them. Catch them in plastic bags or glass jars or syringe cases and freeze them. My entire first shelf of my freezer has been taken over by frozen bugs.

The study of bugs.

Really?

No, I did not dream that Bugs, hence where his nickname comes from, would be so engrossed in entomology.

For example, name the bug below.

Don't say bumble bee. You would be wrong.

And Bugs would be the first person to tell you.

It's a wood bee. Notice the hairy abdomen.  (You should have heard the 15 minute lecture he gave my father-in-law, a dentist, on the difference in bumble bees and wood bees.)

He only has to catch, identify and exhibit 10 insects his first year of 4-H. His 10th year of 4-H, he has to exhibit 100 bugs. I've already told Bugs he needs to start shopping for his own freezer!

That's Bugs' hand holding a butterfuly last summer. That should have been the first clue that he would be a bug guy. (For those of you who may be thinking.......no, I do not have Dr. Tom Turpin on my hands!)

I hope you enjoyed your first class of entomology 101.

Stay tuned for entomology 102. It's a learning process for me every day but I'm thankful that I have a 3rd grader that knows so much about bugs. He could chose so many other troubling paths to follow.