“Got Bugs?” a radio program aired over radio station? has been called entomology’s equivalent of “Car Talk,” but the hosts, Eric Benson of Clemson University’s Department of Entomology and Cam Lay of South Carolina’s Office of Pesticide Regulation, are even more personable than Click and Clack.

On NPR’s “Car Talk,” two former mechanics try to diagnose automotive problems based on sound effects; on Clemson University Radio Production’s “Got Bugs?” two entomologists try to identify insects based on callers’ descriptions. The results entertain listeners from 12:30 to 1:00 p.m. every Tuesday. Audiences outside the broadcast area can catch the live webcast http://yourday.clemson.edu/ or check out archived shows anytime.

Typical musings follow along the lines of, “If bloodsucking insects cause exsanguination, do plant-sucking insects cause exsapination?” And “Nature abhors a vacuum—that’s why it’s so messy outside.” The question, “Where do they come from?” will invariably be answered by Eric saying, “If two insects love each other very, very much. . . .”

The show’s host, Charlotte Holt, tries to rein in the obstreperous pair because they are inclined to elaborate more than necessary on maggots and their habits or to veer off into the nutritional value of weevils in cereal. She has a knack for capturing visual images, such as describing house centipedes as looking like Lhasa Apsos.

Topics range from the esoteric (“Earwig comes from Old English Eare, ear + wicga, insect”) to useful recommendations on nonchemical pest management. Imagine the challenge of identifying an insect based on a lay person’s verbal description. Considering the variety of Southeastern insects listeners encounter, the two do an amazing job of coming up with identifications of almost all the callers’ concerns, usually beginning their binomial key with the question, “Is it soft and squishy or hard and crunchy?”

The program’s biggest benefit is helping callers determine if, indeed, they have a problem. After chatting with the hosts, many questioners realize that presence of an insect doesn’t necessarily mean that they have an insect problem. Fans are learning to appreciate insects and enjoy calling to report some of the intriguing behaviors they observe. In most cases, solutions are presented that minimize pesticide use and emphasize using the insect’s biology or behavior against it, in true integrated pest management style.

Benson invariably gets in a pitch for Clemson’s on-line fact sheets (http://entweb.clemson.edu/), and Lay rarely misses an opportunity to educate consumers about selecting professional pest control contractors. In spite of themselves, listeners pick up useful information and, almost invariably, a greater appreciation for the Insecta. Inevitably the half-hour ends all too soon, with callers holding the lines to talk with the bug experts.

So next Tuesday, see if you can arrange your lunch hour at the computer, log on, and enjoy “Got Bugs?” at while you eat. Just be careful you don’t choke while you’re laughing.

Nancy C. Hinkle
Department of Entomology
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602-2603