Whether you're snug as a bug in a rug or not letting the bed bugs bite, Penn State entomologists emphasized on Saturday that it truly is "a bug's life."
The 14th Annual Great Insect Fair, held at the Snider Agricultural Arena, was coordinated by the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences' Department of Entomology.
The event aimed to eliminate stereotypes surrounding our world's most diverse population.
"They get an appreciation for how complex life can be without leaving your own backyard," said Mike Saunders, an entomology professor.
"You don't have to go to a national park to see interesting wildlife," he added.
One of the main events was the central insect zoo with exhibits like "camo creepers" and "eaters of death."
"It's basically as many insects as we could cram onto a table," Jim McNeil (graduate-entomology) said as he adjusted his black wig.
"Our theme this year was 'Winged Wizards,' so it seemed appropriate for the head of the zoo to dress as Hagrid."
Outside the arena, Maryann Frazier, honeybee extension specialist at Penn State, gave the buzz on bees with a live hive display and honey tasting.
"A lot of people are scared of them and think they are very dangerous. They sting as a way to protect themselves," she said.
"What we are showing here is that there are ways to manage them, so that you don't get stung as often."
Unlike Frazier's friends, some pests at the fair weren't exactly the bee's knees in terms of beneficial uses.
"There's really nothing good to say about mosquitoes," Adam Conrad, Class of 2006 graduate, said about the bugs.
"Essentially, all they do is transmit disease."
Clutching a jar of squirming larvae, Conrad explained that a small bite could cause big problems, a revelation that surrounds his research of West Nile virus.
"I've probably already contracted it a few times," he said of the ailment. "I don't even itch anymore I've been bitten so much."
An adjoining exhibit on forensic entomology conjured up several graveyard images with the slogan: "When you die, the bugs don't lie."
"If we find a homicide victim, we can determine how long they've been there by looking at the stage of the larvae and other bugs eating the corpse," Patricia Hunt (graduate-entomology) said.
Though Hunt said some visitors seemed disturbed by that imagery.
He added that they were distracted by the beauty of maggot art -- putting larvae in paint and setting them free on paper.
Embodying the message of the event, cockroach races, build-a-bug contests and the insect olympics served a primary purpose -- to educate.
"It's fun reaching out," Dan Schmehl (graduate-entomology) said. "Its all about getting kids to understand that bugs are beneficial, not just creepy, crawly on the floor," he added.
