Treasures: A Bug鈥檚 Worth

scorpion on a rock, with his tail raised

Assistant professor Faith Weeks spends her days surrounded by creepy-crawlies.

She loves it.

鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing what they can do. These guys are absolutely fantastic,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e conquered everywhere in the world. They can handle things that we can鈥檛.鈥�

Weeks knows the value of bugs鈥� existence, in the ecosystem and the classroom.

鈥淚f humans weren鈥檛 here, nature bounces back,鈥� she says. 鈥淚f insects and arachnids weren鈥檛 here, so many things would be gone. We wouldn鈥檛 have the produce we do. We wouldn鈥檛 have decomposition like we do. A lot of pests would be around because their predators are gone. Who would pollinate the plants?鈥�

Weeks primarily teaches pre-service science teachers, and she uses her large collection of beetles, scorpions and praying mantises鈥攁mong others鈥攁s much as possible.

鈥淚 always bring live things into my elementary ed classes, primarily because they don鈥檛 have any experience and get freaked out,鈥� Weeks says. 鈥淚 am running a study where I bring insects in and I see how much [undergraduates] can understand the role of them in the ecosystem and if they eventually feel more comfortable with [the insects]. So far, the research has shown that students are more comfortable [after exposure]. They鈥檙e less likely to kill them, and they鈥檙e much more likely to incorporate them into their teaching.鈥�

Bugs 101

Weeks has more than one real-life example of her success. One of her favorites is a current grad student.

鈥淪he has been coming to my lab since she was an undergrad,鈥� Weeks explains. 鈥淎t first she was terrified of tarantulas. Then she started coming to my lab more. Now she asks me, 鈥楬ow are my kids today?鈥欌€�

鈥淭he first day, she almost shrieked and ran out of the room. And now she鈥檚 trying to convince her mom to get one as a pet.鈥�

Meet Some of Faith鈥檚 Friends

Photo of a praying mantis on a stick with leaves on a white background — Carmen, a praying mantis, was raised by a biology staffer.

Single cockroach leaving a rock on a white background — Cockroaches can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes.

Tarantula sitting on top of a wooden mount, on a white background — Weeks鈥� tarantula Nefertiti is named after the first tarantula to go to space.

Two blue beetles, one on a rock, one upside down on the surface of a white background — Death-feigning beetles, when threatened, roll over on their backs and play dead (pictured). One of Weeks鈥� beetles will play dead for up to an hour.