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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."

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