UNIVERSITY PARK — The Great Insect Fair has made a triumphant return after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sponsored by Penn State’s Department of Entomology, the fair took place on Saturday, Sept. 30 at the Snider Agricultural Arena on the University Park campus with the theme “Bugs in the System,” marking the fair’s 30th anniversary.
“We came up with the theme in January of 2020 but shelved it due to canceling the fair. Since we already had the idea in the bag, we decided to keep it for 2023,” Michael Skvarla, the director of Penn State’s Insect Identification Laboratory, said.
Skvarla, who organized the 2019 fair, returned in 2023 after the pandemic canceled the fair from 2020 to 2022.
The fair featured a wide array of interactive exhibitions and booths for guests to explore. Attendees had the opportunity to engage with vendors, learn about beekeeping, visit a nocturnal insect tent, sample honey, receive information on tick bite prevention and more. Additionally, educational programs were conducted by Ryan “The Bug Man” Bridge.
Bridge emphasized that all his exhibits were centered around education and the promotion of bugs and insects, highlighting their vital connection to the planet. He stated, “My exhibit included 10 tables filled with both preserved and live bugs and insects from at least 15 different countries.”
Among Bridge’s live specimens were three types of tarantulas, three types of scorpions, hissing cockroaches, desert beetles, two praying mantises and a black widow spider.
“Everything can be safely held, except for the black widow,” Bridge reassured.
Bridge’s passion for entomology dates back 40 years when, at the age of nine, he founded the York County 4-H Entomology Club. He has been volunteering with the club for more than three decades in addition to traveling to various events with his collection of more than 150,000 insects for fun and educational programs. BugMan’s reach has expanded beyond the Northeast United States, extending to new states each year, including Arizona and Southern California.
The York County 4-H Entomology Club, a longstanding presence at the Great Insect Fair, attended this year’s event as well. According to Bridge, the club frequently participates in public events to recruit new members, educate the public about insects and showcase their own collections. Both the BugMan program and the York County 4-H Club had been regular participants for about a decade before the pandemic forced the event’s cancellation.
Bridge expressed the rewarding experience of working with youth through 4-H, stating, “After 35 years, I have absolutely no regrets. I still believe that 4-H is one of the best-kept secrets in the USA. 4-H is no longer just about growing corn and driving tractors. It’s science, rocketry, shooting sports, insects, food and nutrition, health, robotics and dozens of other projects.”
Both Bridge and Skvarla mentioned there were familiar faces at the Great Insect Fair this year.
“Most of the labs have presented at previous iterations of the Great Insect Fair, but most of them changed the focus of the booths,” Skvarla observed. “For example, the Veterinary Entomology Lab has been at the Great Insect Fair in the past and has had a booth focused on ticks and vector control. However, this year they incorporated a video feed to show how they study mice, which are hosts for black-legged ticks.”
Despite a slightly reduced number of booths compared to previous editions, the fair still attracted a crowd of 3,100 guests. Skvarla explained, “We had somewhat fewer tables and exhibits, but it may have worked for the best, as the arena felt full without being overcrowded, as it has sometimes been in the past.”
For Bridge, this year’s Great Insect Fair was full of highlights ranging from being among old friends to being able to educate people about insects including the youngest of kids with “BugMan” children’s books. He said another major highlight of the event this year was to be able to offer the opportunity to hold and pet some live bugs.
“Most people choose to hate/dislike bugs and insects. We’re taught practically from birth, which bugs we should ‘like’ and which to ‘hate.’ My company allows me the chance to break that cycle and educate both kids and especially adults about the truth about insects,” Bridge explained.
BugMan’s mission is to change people’s perspectives about insects, debunk myths and promote a positive attitude toward them.
As for the future, Skvarla confirmed that the Great Insect Fair is scheduled for 2024, pending securing adequate funding — a challenge faced by the organizing team this year.
“Due to the new university budget model, the Entomology Department experienced a severe budget cut this year and initially canceled the Great Insect Fair,” Skvarla said. “Penn State Extension, and specifically the Horticulture Team, came through in the eleventh hour and funded the fair and we’re grateful for their help.”
Skvarla says planning will start in January for the next Great Insect Fair.
