June 8, 2023 • 27 mins
In this episode, we chat with Kris Braman, head of the Department of Entomology at the University of Georgia, to learn about the diversity of research taking place in the department, including insect microbial interactions, wetland ecology, household and structural entomology, and integrated pest management (IPM). Listen in to learn about fun public outreach events, career opportunities, partnerships with industry like Orkin and the broad impact of entomology research, from revolutionizing medical fields to benefitting agriculture worldwide.
Resources:
Study entomology at UGA!
Integrated pest management (IPM) website
Read about the Orkin urban entomology professorship at UGA.
Learn more about the work the Strand Lab is doing regarding human health and insect vectors.
Learn about IPM on TikTok!
The Center for Urban Agriculture
Find your local county Extension office
Watch Kris's TEDXAtlanta talk
Diverse landscapes are at the heart of bee conservation
Where do bees go in the winter?
Edited by Carly Mirabile
Produced by Jordan Powers, Emily Davenport, Carly Mirabile
Music and sound effects by Mason McClintock, an Athens-based singer, songwriter and storyteller who creates innovative soul-pop music that transcends traditional genre boundaries. Hailing from small-town Southeast Georgia, Mason's influences range from the purest pop to the most powerful gospel. Mason is a former Georgia 4-H'er and a recent University of Georgia graduate! Listen to his music on Spotify.
Get social with us!
Follow CAES on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn and check out UGA Extension on on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn for the latest updates.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Sound Effect (00:00):
[music]
Emily Davenport (00:01):
Welcome to Cultivating Curiosity, where we
get down and dirty with theexperts on all the ways science
and agriculture touch our lives,from what we eat to how we live.
I'm Emily Davenport.
Jordan Powers (00:12):
And I'm Jordan Powers. And we're from the
University of Georgia's Collegeof Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences.
Sound Effect (00:19):
[chime]
Jordan Powers (00:20):
We are here today with Kris Braman, department,
head and professor in theDepartment of Entomology. Kris,
thanks for joining us today.
Kris Braman (00:27):
Delighted to be here.
Jordan Powers (00:29):
Can you start by telling us a bit about your
background?
Kris Braman (00:31):
Yes, I'm originally from farm and orchard country in
upstate New York. And I was thatgirl running barefoot through
fields and streams and woods andthen went off to school, in
forestry school, did graduatework in row crops, and then came
to Georgia in 1989. Andcompletely switched gears again,
(00:55):
and spent 27 years working onmanagement plans for insects
that affect turf andornamentals, and then have spent
my last seven years here inAthens as department head.
Jordan Powers (01:07):
Wow.
Emily Davenport (01:08):
Quite a journey.
Jordan Powers (01:09):
Quite a journey.
And quite an inspiration thatyou can change course at any
point.
Kris Braman (01:14):
Well, and I think that is one of the things that
I've really enjoyed about anacademic career, because you can
do that. You can reinventyourself or identify new areas
that really need some focus. Forexample, I switched gears about
10 years ago, and I've reallyfocused research effort on
(01:34):
pollinator conservation.
Emily Davenport (01:36):
What caused you to switch gears in the first
place from row crops toentomology?
Kris Braman (01:41):
The opportunity for a wonderful job at the
University of Georgia.
Emily Davenport (01:45):
Okay.
Jordan Powers (01:45):
And we promise that's not an ad.
Kris Braman (01:49):
And my training, you know, IPM principles apply
across commodities, and Ireceived some encouragement to
apply and the rest is history.
Jordan Powers (01:59):
Okay, and IPM for our listeners who might not be
aware is integrative pestmanagement, right?
Kris Braman (02:04):
Yes, that's right.
Sound Effect (02:05):
[chime]
Emily Davenport (02:05):
We'll add a link to the IPM website where
you can find importantinformation about pests, weeds
and diseases in Georgia.
Sound Effect (02:12):
[chime]
Emily Davenport (02:13):
Tell us a little bit about a typical day
in the Entomology Department.
And as department head.
Kris Braman (02:18):
Well, no two days are the same. And that's what I
love about this job. I had theadministrative side and then I
have also been able to keep myresearch and teaching. So I
really love working with people.
I may be biased, but I think wehave one of the most wonderful
departments of entomologyanywhere, but I also love
working with the plants and thepollinators. And in the lab work
(02:40):
or the research side, I do fieldwork and lab work. So I've got
the best of all worlds,everyplace.
Jordan Powers (02:50):
So we know that you have been with the
Department of Entomology here atUGA for quite some time. How has
it changed throughout the timeyou've been at UGA?
Kris Braman (02:58):
It's changed a lot.
When I first came to UGA in1989. We were actually four
departments, each with its owndepartment head, out of two
colleges, Arts and Sciences andthe College of Agricultural and
Environmental Science, under onedivision chair. Over the course
of my years here we have reallystreamlined into one unified
Department of Entomology. We'restill statewide, and we just
(03:24):
have tremendous breadth andbalance in what we do.
Jordan Powers (03:31):
How do you think that kind of coming together of
those four separate entities orfour different kind of silos has
benefited the department and inturn the industry?
Kris Braman (03:41):
I think that it has made us much more, as you say
unified, but cohesive andcollaborative. In other words,
the collaboration. Now Imentioned that we cover the
gamut from the most applied tothe most basic research. And
what we see now is a lot ofcollaboration there between
those two types of science,which is really transformative
(04:04):
and moves that needle.
Emily Davenport (04:06):
So you mentioned the research runs the
gamut. What about the breadth ofthe department as far as
insects, we know it's more thanjust bees, which might you might
be biased to but what what arepeople interested in studying in
the Entomology Department?
Kris Braman (04:20):
Oh, absolutely everything. And, you know, we
have scientists that work oninsect microbial interactions,
lots of times that's vectorbiology working with mosquitoes
or kissing bugs, but then wehave people that work in wetland
ecology. So they're looking ataquatic insects. Household and
(04:40):
structural entomology, all thethings that can invade our homes
that we don't want there. Andthen of course, all of the IPM,
integrated pest management, andI'm gonna put in a plug for
IPPM, integrated pest andpollinator management, has
become kind of the focus formost of our management programs.
(05:01):
But they work on all sorts offood and fiber from cotton and
peanuts and soybeans to peachesand blueberries. So we cover a
lot of ground.
Jordan Powers (05:12):
It's a lot to think about. It's a lot to wrap
your head around. What types ofcareers and entomology are
available for graduates of theprograms?
Kris Braman (05:20):
A lot of exciting diversity there. So students can
go into public health careers,they can go into research, they
can go into education, they cango to work for museums,
botanical gardens, all sorts ofopportunities, as well as what
we would traditionally think inagriculture and pest control.
Emily Davenport (05:41):
The sky's the limit. How does entomology
partner with industry?
Kris Braman (05:45):
Well, industry partnerships are really
important. From my experience,partnering with industry really
just allows us to have magnifiedimpact in all three of the
land-grant missions, research,teaching and extension.
Jordan Powers (06:01):
And I'm a little biased on this follow up
question here because I've beendoing a lot of coverage on our
new Orkin Professorship forUrban Entomology, which Dan
Suiter has that title. Can youtalk a little bit about what the
new Orkin professorship meansfor the entomology department?
Kris Braman (06:15):
Well, it means so much. That's a partnership that
is really supporting the scienceand lets us move that
transformational research out toa broader audience. And it also
means that our urban entomologyprogram is going to remain
strong. And that's not the caseeverywhere in the country. So I
(06:39):
see this as a wonderfulpartnership. And we're grateful
for the endowment. I also see itas probably just the first step
into even more,
Jordan Powers (06:49):
I love that.
Grateful for what is here andexcited for what is next. And
we'll link a story that we wroteon the Orkin professorship in
the show notes for our listenersif they'd like to learn more.
You mentioned the urbanentomology program. Can you talk
more about that, what that meansfor our listeners who might not
know?
Kris Braman (06:59):
Urban entomology has traditionally described
household and structuralentomology. So think of things
like termites, or ants, orbedbugs, or everybody's
favorite, the cockroaches. Soit's how to manage insects that
(07:23):
we're just fine with outdoors,but we really don't want them
invading our homes.
Jordan Powers (07:27):
Our team got a chance to go see Dr. Suiter and
his bedbug demo station lasttime we were in Griffin, and I
don't think any of us will everforget it. I've never looked at
a hotel room the same way. But Iknow what to look for now.
Kris Braman (07:41):
Were you itching when you left?
Jordan Powers (07:43):
Maybe just a little bit. How is the work that
you all are doing in theentomology department making an
impact locally, nationally, andeven internationally?
Kris Braman (07:52):
Our entomology faculty, staff and students
really are having an impact, notjust locally, but absolutely
globally. If I think about someof the work coming out of labs
we've already mentioned, thework that's coming out of the
Strand lab can revolutionize themedical field and provide
(08:13):
solutions for important diseasesthat are vectored by mosquitoes,
and also lead to some importantnew innovative management
strategies for insect pests offield crops. And this basic
research is basic research withan end goal in mind and can be
translated into impact thatdirectly affects not just
(08:36):
Georgia growers, or evenregionally or nationally, but
everybody worldwide.
Jordan Powers (08:42):
I think it's so easy for people to focus on
what's happening in front ofthem and the project that
they're working on, so to hearthe impact that this is having
across the globe is is aninspiration.
Kris Braman (08:52):
And one thing that's very important to me is
that we have alumni everywhere.
So those next generationscientists are one way that I
think we really have a bigimpact.
Jordan Powers (09:05):
I love that. We talked with Simer and George in
a previous episode a little bitabout that. And what did they
call it, the academic familytree, and being able to trace
that back.
Emily Davenport (09:13):
Yeah.
Jordan Powers (09:14):
It's a cool thing to think about.
Emily Davenport (09:16):
It is really cool. Speaking of next
generation scientists, how isthe department educating the
younger generation and thepublic about entomology?
Kris Braman (09:25):
That's one of the most fun things to me, is public
outreach. Now our graduatestudents have a really important
role to play in the outreachthat we do as a department. And
so they are our ambassadors,going lots of different places,
but very often to schools,elementary schools, high
schools. People can sign up tohave them come out and
(09:48):
demonstrate entomology and teachthings that might just be focal
areas. Sometimes they wantpeople to come out and talk
about pollinators and pollinatorgardens, sometimes it's general
entomology. But we alsoparticipate as a department in
things like Insectival, thatwonderful partnership between
(10:09):
entomology and the botanicalgarden, where every year,
literally a thousand people comethrough and learn how important
insects are to everyday life.
Jordan Powers (10:19):
And that is an incredible event. We got to go
to our last one this spring. Andit was just, I mean, my kids
were thrilled. I was thrilled,like, it was a blast across the
board. And there's another kindof outreach component that I
know actually just participatedin the school that both of our
children go to, the insect zoo.
Can you talk a little bit aboutthe insect zoo and the graduate
students behind that?
Kris Braman (10:41):
Yes, I love the insect zoo.
Emily Davenport (10:43):
Me too.
Kris Braman (10:45):
I guess probably one of the more attractive
things about the insect zoo isthat we're able to maintain some
exotic insects that are reallyshowy, and demonstrate things
like camouflage with giantwalking sticks, or the leaf
insects. So people just reallycan connect with those, let
alone the things like thetarantulas or the hissing
(11:08):
cockroaches. Not everybody is ahuge fan of those, but we bring
them along too.
Emily Davenport (11:14):
You'll find a fan somewhere of one of those,
I'm sure, but...
Jordan Powers (11:17):
They need their moment in the spotlight.
Emily Davenport (11:19):
They do.
Jordan Powers (11:19):
I do find it funny that I'm okay holding a
Madagascar Hissing Cockroach.
But if there's one in my house,I'm like, no, thank you please.
I have that thought in my headthat I'm like, why am I so judgy
against one in my home, but,I'll hold the big hissing ones.
Emily Davenport (11:33):
Right?
Kris Braman (11:33):
Well, it's that whole urban entomology household
structural thing.
Jordan Powers (11:38):
Exactly. There's a history there.
Emily Davenport (11:40):
How did the insects do come about? Whose
idea was that?
Kris Braman (11:43):
I think we've had that for so long that I can't
tell you what the legacy isexactly there. But that's always
been a part of the Department ofEntomology since I've been here.
It's been here a long time.
Jordan Powers (11:55):
Long standing history, I love that.
Emily Davenport (11:57):
That's cool.
You talked about IPM and IPPM.
Can you tell us more about bothof those and what they
encompass, maybe just moreabout..?
Kris Braman (12:08):
Yeah, let me tell you a little more about the
integrated part of the IPM. Soreally, that's just using all
available strategies to managewhat we have decided are pests.
So not to focus on one singletactic, but to include several
others and usually going for thebiologically based control
(12:29):
methods first. And then when youadd the other P in there,
integrated pest and pollinatormanagement, that recognizes the
importance of what managementstrategies do to pollinators,
and pollinators are essentialfor many of the crops that we
are growing now. So as wedevelop these integrated pest
(12:51):
management strategies, let'smake sure that what we're doing
does not negatively affect thepollinators that are so
essential.
Jordan Powers (12:58):
that work is being done to make sure our
pollinators are protected.
Emily Davenport (13:03):
I love that what all the researchers are
thinking of too I just remembergoing to visiting entomology
last year and looking at theblueberry what is it? Wasp?
Kris Braman (13:20):
Oh, yeah.
Emily Davenport (13:20):
And the...
Kris Braman (13:21):
Spotted winged Drosophila?
Emily Davenport (13:23):
Thank you. Yes.
Kris Braman (13:24):
Yeah.
Emily Davenport (13:24):
And I just thought that was so cool. Like
you think of spraying pesticideson things, but then you can have
this complete biological systemthat doesn't involve any
chemicals at all. And it's justvery cool.
Kris Braman (13:34):
Well I'm very excited about the progress in
that program. And hopefully, wewill have a new biological
control.
Emily Davenport (13:41):
Yeah, awesome.
Well, we have a TikTok videoabout that. So we can link that
in the show notes, so people canlearn a little bit more about
how maybe that teeny tiny waspcan control some fruit flies and
blueberry crops.
Jordan Powers (13:54):
This is why Emily and I just geek out on on all
the science behind what's goingon.
Kris Braman (13:58):
Well, and you know, it's like entomology is in many
ways, like the hidden world. Andthere's so much there for people
to discover. Like I know thisworld really well, and sometimes
you forget that not everybodydoes. So when you can show a
tiny little parasitic wasp thatcan help you control this really
(14:18):
important pest, then that'sawesome.
Jordan Powers (14:21):
Awesome indeed.
Switching gears a little bit, weknow that you were the director
of the Center for UrbanAgriculture for about five
years. Can you share more withus about the center's mission?
Kris Braman (14:33):
The center's mission is really about
supporting all types of urbanagriculture and supporting our
own Cooperative ExtensionService by providing educational
materials that county extensioncan use.
Jordan Powers (14:49):
We'll link to some of those county extension
resources in the show notes. Youknow, speaking of being we just
talked about being in a worldand then realizing other people
may not be as familiar with thatworld. Can you talk a little bit
more about urban agriculture andwhat types of things you're
talking about when you speak onurban ag?
Kris Braman (15:06):
Well, urban agriculture has a very broad
definition. And the history withthe Center for Urban Agriculture
had very much of a focus on thegreen industry. But of course,
as we know, urban agriculture ismuch broader than that. And so,
we have expanded even while Iwas there into urban agriculture
(15:26):
food production, so locallygrown, sometimes organic
production, and even homehorticulture. The Center for
Urban Agriculture is housedwithin the University of Georgia
College of Agricultural andEnvironmental Sciences, and I
think the important thing isthat it's non departmental. It
(15:48):
includes people from alldepartments, and not just in our
college. And it supportsextension and research programs
in sustainable turf grass, urbanenvironment, nursery landscape,
local food, professionaltraining and certification,
household and structural pestmanagement, urban forestry. So
(16:09):
they cover a lot of ground.
Jordan Powers (16:11):
A lot of amazing work being done out of the
Center for Urban Ag, and we willlink their site in the show
notes for listeners as well.
Emily Davenport (16:18):
What your day to day like in that role as the
director?
Kris Braman (16:21):
It involved a lot of Extension education
coordinated through the countydelivery system. Building
collaborations was a big part ofalmost every day, and just
making those connections.
Jordan Powers (16:33):
So we know you gave a TED talk last week, and
it is Monday, the day we'rerecording this, and you gave a
TED talk on Friday. So first ofall, thank you for joining us.
We're right at the heels of thatamazing TED Talk. And we'll of
course link that in the shownotes for our listeners. While
it's fresh in your mind, tell usa bit about what that experience
was like?
Kris Braman (16:53):
Well, it was a wonderful experience and a
fabulous opportunity to havethat platform to be able to
advocate for pollinatorprotection and bee conservation.
So it was truly marvelous.
Emily Davenport (17:05):
Tell us a little bit more about your talk,
what did-- you talked about thesecrets of city bees? I think
that's what it was called?
Kris Braman (17:12):
Yes. And I will go straight to the punch line that
I learned many new things today.
But I think the focus is is sothe secret of city bees is
trees. So we looked at mainlythe effect of landscape context,
meaning number of trees nearby,intensity of development, or
even proximity to farms, to beeabundance and diversity on
residential landscapes. And wewere just overwhelmingly
(17:34):
surprised at the bee diversitythat we found. Coming down to
the bottom line, we found thatthe amount of remnant forest in
the city really impacted beeabundance and diversity. So we
really need to keep forest coverat the forefront when we are
looking at conservation planningfor mixed use landscapes. And
(17:57):
you know, it makes total sense,because historically, the
eastern United States wasmuch on the pollination of
flowers and crops that I feelforested, and now we were
deforested here for cottonproduction, and then we
reforested, and then we lostthose trees again, when we
started building residentialcommunities. And those remnant
(18:19):
forests, the trees are reallyimportant. Nearly a third of the
wild bees in the eastern UnitedStates are forest bees.
(18:40):
like if you polled 100 people,forest is not the first thing
that comes to mind.
Emily Davenport (18:43):
Yeah. And why is it the forest? What's the
trees doing for the bees?
Kris Braman (18:47):
So many questions.
Emily Davenport (18:48):
So many questions.
Kris Braman (18:49):
Yeah, yes. And these are questions that I have.
And then what trees are the bestfor bees? You know, we can put
together and we have puttogether some guides to help
people pick out trees that weknow are good for bees. But for
example, oaks are windpollinated, and they don't
necessarily need the bees. Butdo bees use oaks? That's one of
(19:12):
the things that we want to findout. And there's some exciting
work going on all around thecountry. And what percentage of
hardwoods would we need? Howmany trees do you need for the
bees? And that's not to say thatthe flowering herbaceous plants
are not important. They areimportant. But I think there has
been little emphasis on thetrees and I think they're really
(19:34):
having an impact.
Emily Davenport (19:35):
I have so many more questions.
Jordan Powers (19:36):
I feel like there's so much to unpack.
Emily Davenport (19:38):
We need a whole other episode.
Jordan Powers (19:39):
We both have the spinning computer wheel in our
brains right now, justprocessing.
Emily Davenport (19:43):
I know that leaf litter is important for
bees overwintering, is that thereason why they're important for
city bees or is it it beyondthat?
Kris Braman (19:52):
It can be but it can also be that trees produce
pollen, you know they flower andproduce pollen, and bees can use
those trees. But also nestinghabitat, right? So I think it's
not just a single thing. I thinkit's a more complicated picture.
Jordan Powers (20:08):
Fascinating, complicated picture. So outside
of the importance of trees, tellus a bit how you are helping
pollinators in your lifepersonally.
Kris Braman (20:19):
Well, I am trying to do exactly what I'm asking
other people to do.
Emily Davenport (20:25):
Lead by example.
Kris Braman (20:27):
Yeah. So let me just tell you a few things that
I am doing and that I'm askingother people to do. And the
number one thing is that we needto tolerate a little messiness
in our yards and gardens. And Ican definitely already check
that box. So consider leavingsome bare ground in your yard
(20:48):
because the vast majority ofwild bees are ground nesting, so
what you're doing is leavingspace for them to set up
homekeeping. And then I alsofind that that is such a good
excuse for the lawn police thatobject to those bare spots in
your yard. You can tell them thespots are intentional.
Jordan Powers (21:11):
We're inviting our bee friends over.
Emily Davenport (21:13):
That's right, it's the bee house.
Kris Braman (21:15):
But when you are cleaning up flower gardens at
the end of the season, leavesome stems for nesting bees to
have a home, cavity dwellingbees. Instead of formal gardens
go for cottage gardens that havea riot of color all season long.
Be sure that your bees haveaccess to water and plant more
(21:37):
trees for the bees.
Jordan Powers (21:38):
The access to water was one that I never fully
thought about until we startedbringing out my kids' water
table and kiddie pool in thesummer. So it's not chlorinated,
it's just the garden hose. Andthe number of bees that will
come up and even just sit on thepavement and get a drink of
water. I was like, oh, you allare thirsty. I'm like, at least
we can you know knock out twothings. We got the kids happy
(21:59):
because they're playing in thewater and we've got the
pollinators getting a little bitof a drink in the meantime.
Kris Braman (22:04):
Yeah.
Emily Davenport (22:04):
I need to put a little bee drinking fountain in
Jordan Powers (22:07):
I know, I'm like, I need to be more intentional
my house.
about this, because it onlyhappens when there's a water
play day.
Emily Davenport (22:11):
I know, right?
Jordan Powers (22:11):
I need to be more intentional about my bee
hydration,
Emily Davenport (22:13):
That's right, hydrate your bees.
Jordan Powers (22:15):
There's a new campaign.
Emily Davenport (22:17):
we're doing on the podcast where people have
been submitting their questionsto ask. So the first question
has to do with leaf footed bugs.
And how do we work with otherbeneficials to prevent this
little fella. And tell us moreabout leaf footed bugs if you
(22:40):
know because I don't know whatthat is.
Kris Braman (22:44):
Yes, leaf footed bugs can show up almost every
year in the garden. And they'recalled leaf footed bugs because
they have an enlarged part ontheir hind legs. So they look
like leaves, their legs looklike leaves literally. And they
can be problems on tomatoes forsure, but also on some other
(23:06):
garden plants. Sometimes theycan reach really high numbers.
Now they do have some naturalenemies, predators like assassin
bugs, general predators. Thereare some parasitic flies that
can attack leaf footed bugs. Butone thing that you can do is
(23:27):
just to be real vigilant withthe scouting and lots of times
insects reach large numbers, andit seems like it's overnight but
it's really not. So just to beon site and and see egg masses
or when they first hatch out.
And lots of times just handremoval can take care of that.
(23:48):
One thing, if we have a reallylarge garden and you know that
this is a problem time and timeagain, you might consider some
type of trap crop. Now trap cropmeans you have something that is
more attractive to the pest thatyou want to manage. You plant
(24:10):
that earlier than your otherplants, so they're up and
growing before, say, yourtomatoes come in. And one of the
best things for leaf footed bugsis sunflowers. So there you get
sunflowers, the keys there areto make sure you get those
planted well ahead of time. Andthen also you just want to keep
(24:33):
watch on the trap crop and youmay want to manage the leaf
footed bugs there or you may beokay with just sacrificing those
plants.
Jordan Powers (24:43):
I was gonna say, once you have the trap crop,
then what? You just answeredthat for me you either sacrifice
or you you do your pestmanagement on those.
Emily Davenport (24:51):
It's a little IPM in your garden.
Kris Braman (24:53):
Yeah.
Emily Davenport (24:54):
I love it.
Jordan Powers (24:55):
Hopefully we won't have to deal with them
this year but--
Emily Davenport (24:58):
I do have sunflowers in my garden though
this year. So maybe I won't haveto deal with these bugs that I
knew nothing about until fiveminutes ago.
Jordan Powers (25:07):
So our next question is from a first time
gardener, and they would like toknow how to stay ahead of the
pest game without hurting thegood bugs in the garden?
Kris Braman (25:18):
That's a great question. And I think I'm just
gonna go back to what we weresaying about leaf footed bugs,
scout, scout scout, be out thereand looking. So for whatever
you're going to plant in thegarden, do a little research,
find out what are going to bethe major pests there, and be
out and looking for them, sothat you can maybe just do some
(25:41):
hand removal early and not haveto deal with quite so many
pests.
Jordan Powers (25:47):
And one thing I personally learned on that front
with my first couple of gardens,and I feel like I reteach myself
every year, the importance ofturning the leaves over.
Emily Davenport (25:56):
Yes.
Jordan Powers (25:57):
Because it's so easy. And I'm sure there's a
scientific reason that so manypests are on the underside of
the leaves. Maybe it's a builtin protection, but I'd go out
and look at I'm like, oh,everything's fine. And then the
next day, I'm like, everythingis clearly not fine anymore. And
you flip a leaf over and all ofa sudden you're like, there you
all are just munching away.
Kris Braman (26:16):
That's a great point. Because close inspection
of the plants really does mean,yep, turn those leaves over.
Jordan Powers (26:24):
And check the stems, and...
Emily Davenport (26:26):
Yep.
Jordan Powers (26:27):
It's a labor of love.
Kris Braman (26:29):
Another thing you might consider or people might
consider doing is, you know,weave some flowers into your
vegetable garden. You attractall of the beneficial insects
and the pollinators. Plus youget some cut flowers.
Jordan Powers (26:42):
Can't lose there.
Emily Davenport (26:43):
Yeah.
Jordan Powers (26:43):
We have covered a lot of ground today. Is there
anything that we've missed thatyou want our listeners to know
about the Department ofEntomology, about the work
coming out of the department?
Kris Braman (26:55):
I just think that we have such a tremendous
impact. And insects are soimportant and such a part of
everybody's lives, even thoughthey may not know it. So
entomology is a great place tobuild a career. I'm biased,
but... And our undergraduateprograms are, yes, in
(27:21):
entomology, but also in appliedbiotechnology. And those two
areas mesh together really wellto make a student extremely
competitive on the job market.
So thank you for the opportunityto share a little bit about our
department.
Jordan Powers (27:39):
Absolutely. Thank you again for joining us. It has
been a wonderful time learningmore.
Sound Effect (27:44):
[music]
Emily Davenport (27:45):
Thanks for listening to Cultivating
Curiosity, a podcast produced bythe UGA College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences. Aspecial thanks to Mason
McClintock for our music andsound effects. Find more
episodes wherever you get yourpodcasts.
[music]
Emily Davenport (00:01):
Welcome to Cultivating Curiosity, where we
get down and dirty with theexperts on all the ways science
and agriculture touch our lives,from what we eat to how we live.
I'm Emily Davenport.
Jordan Powers (00:12):
And I'm Jordan Powers. And we're from the
University of Georgia's Collegeof Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences.
Sound Effect (00:19):
[chime]
Jordan Powers (00:20):
We are here today with Kris Braman, department,
head and professor in theDepartment of Entomology. Kris,
thanks for joining us today.
Kris Braman (00:27):
Delighted to be here.
Jordan Powers (00:29):
Can you start by telling us a bit about your
background?
Kris Braman (00:31):
Yes, I'm originally from farm and orchard country in
upstate New York. And I was thatgirl running barefoot through
fields and streams and woods andthen went off to school, in
forestry school, did graduatework in row crops, and then came
to Georgia in 1989. Andcompletely switched gears again,
(00:55):
and spent 27 years working onmanagement plans for insects
that affect turf andornamentals, and then have spent
my last seven years here inAthens as department head.
Jordan Powers (01:07):
Wow.
Emily Davenport (01:08):
Quite a journey.
Jordan Powers (01:09):
Quite a journey.
And quite an inspiration thatyou can change course at any
point.
Kris Braman (01:14):
Well, and I think that is one of the things that
I've really enjoyed about anacademic career, because you can
do that. You can reinventyourself or identify new areas
that really need some focus. Forexample, I switched gears about
10 years ago, and I've reallyfocused research effort on
(01:34):
pollinator conservation.
Emily Davenport (01:36):
What caused you to switch gears in the first
place from row crops toentomology?
Kris Braman (01:41):
The opportunity for a wonderful job at the
University of Georgia.
Emily Davenport (01:45):
Okay.
Jordan Powers (01:45):
And we promise that's not an ad.
Kris Braman (01:49):
And my training, you know, IPM principles apply
across commodities, and Ireceived some encouragement to
apply and the rest is history.
Jordan Powers (01:59):
Okay, and IPM for our listeners who might not be
aware is integrative pestmanagement, right?
Kris Braman (02:04):
Yes, that's right.
Sound Effect (02:05):
[chime]
Emily Davenport (02:05):
We'll add a link to the IPM website where
you can find importantinformation about pests, weeds
and diseases in Georgia.
Sound Effect (02:12):
[chime]
Emily Davenport (02:13):
Tell us a little bit about a typical day
in the Entomology Department.
And as department head.
Kris Braman (02:18):
Well, no two days are the same. And that's what I
love about this job. I had theadministrative side and then I
have also been able to keep myresearch and teaching. So I
really love working with people.
I may be biased, but I think wehave one of the most wonderful
departments of entomologyanywhere, but I also love
working with the plants and thepollinators. And in the lab work
(02:40):
or the research side, I do fieldwork and lab work. So I've got
the best of all worlds,everyplace.
Jordan Powers (02:50):
So we know that you have been with the
Department of Entomology here atUGA for quite some time. How has
it changed throughout the timeyou've been at UGA?
Kris Braman (02:58):
It's changed a lot.
When I first came to UGA in1989. We were actually four
departments, each with its owndepartment head, out of two
colleges, Arts and Sciences andthe College of Agricultural and
Environmental Science, under onedivision chair. Over the course
of my years here we have reallystreamlined into one unified
Department of Entomology. We'restill statewide, and we just
(03:24):
have tremendous breadth andbalance in what we do.
Jordan Powers (03:31):
How do you think that kind of coming together of
those four separate entities orfour different kind of silos has
benefited the department and inturn the industry?
Kris Braman (03:41):
I think that it has made us much more, as you say
unified, but cohesive andcollaborative. In other words,
the collaboration. Now Imentioned that we cover the
gamut from the most applied tothe most basic research. And
what we see now is a lot ofcollaboration there between
those two types of science,which is really transformative
(04:04):
and moves that needle.
Emily Davenport (04:06):
So you mentioned the research runs the
gamut. What about the breadth ofthe department as far as
insects, we know it's more thanjust bees, which might you might
be biased to but what what arepeople interested in studying in
the Entomology Department?
Kris Braman (04:20):
Oh, absolutely everything. And, you know, we
have scientists that work oninsect microbial interactions,
lots of times that's vectorbiology working with mosquitoes
or kissing bugs, but then wehave people that work in wetland
ecology. So they're looking ataquatic insects. Household and
(04:40):
structural entomology, all thethings that can invade our homes
that we don't want there. Andthen of course, all of the IPM,
integrated pest management, andI'm gonna put in a plug for
IPPM, integrated pest andpollinator management, has
become kind of the focus formost of our management programs.
(05:01):
But they work on all sorts offood and fiber from cotton and
peanuts and soybeans to peachesand blueberries. So we cover a
lot of ground.
Jordan Powers (05:12):
It's a lot to think about. It's a lot to wrap
your head around. What types ofcareers and entomology are
available for graduates of theprograms?
Kris Braman (05:20):
A lot of exciting diversity there. So students can
go into public health careers,they can go into research, they
can go into education, they cango to work for museums,
botanical gardens, all sorts ofopportunities, as well as what
we would traditionally think inagriculture and pest control.
Emily Davenport (05:41):
The sky's the limit. How does entomology
partner with industry?
Kris Braman (05:45):
Well, industry partnerships are really
important. From my experience,partnering with industry really
just allows us to have magnifiedimpact in all three of the
land-grant missions, research,teaching and extension.
Jordan Powers (06:01):
And I'm a little biased on this follow up
question here because I've beendoing a lot of coverage on our
new Orkin Professorship forUrban Entomology, which Dan
Suiter has that title. Can youtalk a little bit about what the
new Orkin professorship meansfor the entomology department?
Kris Braman (06:15):
Well, it means so much. That's a partnership that
is really supporting the scienceand lets us move that
transformational research out toa broader audience. And it also
means that our urban entomologyprogram is going to remain
strong. And that's not the caseeverywhere in the country. So I
(06:39):
see this as a wonderfulpartnership. And we're grateful
for the endowment. I also see itas probably just the first step
into even more,
Jordan Powers (06:49):
I love that.
Grateful for what is here andexcited for what is next. And
we'll link a story that we wroteon the Orkin professorship in
the show notes for our listenersif they'd like to learn more.
You mentioned the urbanentomology program. Can you talk
more about that, what that meansfor our listeners who might not
know?
Kris Braman (06:59):
Urban entomology has traditionally described
household and structuralentomology. So think of things
like termites, or ants, orbedbugs, or everybody's
favorite, the cockroaches. Soit's how to manage insects that
(07:23):
we're just fine with outdoors,but we really don't want them
invading our homes.
Jordan Powers (07:27):
Our team got a chance to go see Dr. Suiter and
his bedbug demo station lasttime we were in Griffin, and I
don't think any of us will everforget it. I've never looked at
a hotel room the same way. But Iknow what to look for now.
Kris Braman (07:41):
Were you itching when you left?
Jordan Powers (07:43):
Maybe just a little bit. How is the work that
you all are doing in theentomology department making an
impact locally, nationally, andeven internationally?
Kris Braman (07:52):
Our entomology faculty, staff and students
really are having an impact, notjust locally, but absolutely
globally. If I think about someof the work coming out of labs
we've already mentioned, thework that's coming out of the
Strand lab can revolutionize themedical field and provide
(08:13):
solutions for important diseasesthat are vectored by mosquitoes,
and also lead to some importantnew innovative management
strategies for insect pests offield crops. And this basic
research is basic research withan end goal in mind and can be
translated into impact thatdirectly affects not just
(08:36):
Georgia growers, or evenregionally or nationally, but
everybody worldwide.
Jordan Powers (08:42):
I think it's so easy for people to focus on
what's happening in front ofthem and the project that
they're working on, so to hearthe impact that this is having
across the globe is is aninspiration.
Kris Braman (08:52):
And one thing that's very important to me is
that we have alumni everywhere.
So those next generationscientists are one way that I
think we really have a bigimpact.
Jordan Powers (09:05):
I love that. We talked with Simer and George in
a previous episode a little bitabout that. And what did they
call it, the academic familytree, and being able to trace
that back.
Emily Davenport (09:13):
Yeah.
Jordan Powers (09:14):
It's a cool thing to think about.
Emily Davenport (09:16):
It is really cool. Speaking of next
generation scientists, how isthe department educating the
younger generation and thepublic about entomology?
Kris Braman (09:25):
That's one of the most fun things to me, is public
outreach. Now our graduatestudents have a really important
role to play in the outreachthat we do as a department. And
so they are our ambassadors,going lots of different places,
but very often to schools,elementary schools, high
schools. People can sign up tohave them come out and
(09:48):
demonstrate entomology and teachthings that might just be focal
areas. Sometimes they wantpeople to come out and talk
about pollinators and pollinatorgardens, sometimes it's general
entomology. But we alsoparticipate as a department in
things like Insectival, thatwonderful partnership between
(10:09):
entomology and the botanicalgarden, where every year,
literally a thousand people comethrough and learn how important
insects are to everyday life.
Jordan Powers (10:19):
And that is an incredible event. We got to go
to our last one this spring. Andit was just, I mean, my kids
were thrilled. I was thrilled,like, it was a blast across the
board. And there's another kindof outreach component that I
know actually just participatedin the school that both of our
children go to, the insect zoo.
Can you talk a little bit aboutthe insect zoo and the graduate
students behind that?
Kris Braman (10:41):
Yes, I love the insect zoo.
Emily Davenport (10:43):
Me too.
Kris Braman (10:45):
I guess probably one of the more attractive
things about the insect zoo isthat we're able to maintain some
exotic insects that are reallyshowy, and demonstrate things
like camouflage with giantwalking sticks, or the leaf
insects. So people just reallycan connect with those, let
alone the things like thetarantulas or the hissing
(11:08):
cockroaches. Not everybody is ahuge fan of those, but we bring
them along too.
Emily Davenport (11:14):
You'll find a fan somewhere of one of those,
I'm sure, but...
Jordan Powers (11:17):
They need their moment in the spotlight.
Emily Davenport (11:19):
They do.
Jordan Powers (11:19):
I do find it funny that I'm okay holding a
Madagascar Hissing Cockroach.
But if there's one in my house,I'm like, no, thank you please.
I have that thought in my headthat I'm like, why am I so judgy
against one in my home, but,I'll hold the big hissing ones.
Emily Davenport (11:33):
Right?
Kris Braman (11:33):
Well, it's that whole urban entomology household
structural thing.
Jordan Powers (11:38):
Exactly. There's a history there.
Emily Davenport (11:40):
How did the insects do come about? Whose
idea was that?
Kris Braman (11:43):
I think we've had that for so long that I can't
tell you what the legacy isexactly there. But that's always
been a part of the Department ofEntomology since I've been here.
It's been here a long time.
Jordan Powers (11:55):
Long standing history, I love that.
Emily Davenport (11:57):
That's cool.
You talked about IPM and IPPM.
Can you tell us more about bothof those and what they
encompass, maybe just moreabout..?
Kris Braman (12:08):
Yeah, let me tell you a little more about the
integrated part of the IPM. Soreally, that's just using all
available strategies to managewhat we have decided are pests.
So not to focus on one singletactic, but to include several
others and usually going for thebiologically based control
(12:29):
methods first. And then when youadd the other P in there,
integrated pest and pollinatormanagement, that recognizes the
importance of what managementstrategies do to pollinators,
and pollinators are essentialfor many of the crops that we
are growing now. So as wedevelop these integrated pest
(12:51):
management strategies, let'smake sure that what we're doing
does not negatively affect thepollinators that are so
essential.
Jordan Powers (12:58):
that work is being done to make sure our
pollinators are protected.
Emily Davenport (13:03):
I love that what all the researchers are
thinking of too I just remembergoing to visiting entomology
last year and looking at theblueberry what is it? Wasp?
Kris Braman (13:20):
Oh, yeah.
Emily Davenport (13:20):
And the...
Kris Braman (13:21):
Spotted winged Drosophila?
Emily Davenport (13:23):
Thank you. Yes.
Kris Braman (13:24):
Yeah.
Emily Davenport (13:24):
And I just thought that was so cool. Like
you think of spraying pesticideson things, but then you can have
this complete biological systemthat doesn't involve any
chemicals at all. And it's justvery cool.
Kris Braman (13:34):
Well I'm very excited about the progress in
that program. And hopefully, wewill have a new biological
control.
Emily Davenport (13:41):
Yeah, awesome.
Well, we have a TikTok videoabout that. So we can link that
in the show notes, so people canlearn a little bit more about
how maybe that teeny tiny waspcan control some fruit flies and
blueberry crops.
Jordan Powers (13:54):
This is why Emily and I just geek out on on all
the science behind what's goingon.
Kris Braman (13:58):
Well, and you know, it's like entomology is in many
ways, like the hidden world. Andthere's so much there for people
to discover. Like I know thisworld really well, and sometimes
you forget that not everybodydoes. So when you can show a
tiny little parasitic wasp thatcan help you control this really
(14:18):
important pest, then that'sawesome.
Jordan Powers (14:21):
Awesome indeed.
Switching gears a little bit, weknow that you were the director
of the Center for UrbanAgriculture for about five
years. Can you share more withus about the center's mission?
Kris Braman (14:33):
The center's mission is really about
supporting all types of urbanagriculture and supporting our
own Cooperative ExtensionService by providing educational
materials that county extensioncan use.
Jordan Powers (14:49):
We'll link to some of those county extension
resources in the show notes. Youknow, speaking of being we just
talked about being in a worldand then realizing other people
may not be as familiar with thatworld. Can you talk a little bit
more about urban agriculture andwhat types of things you're
talking about when you speak onurban ag?
Kris Braman (15:06):
Well, urban agriculture has a very broad
definition. And the history withthe Center for Urban Agriculture
had very much of a focus on thegreen industry. But of course,
as we know, urban agriculture ismuch broader than that. And so,
we have expanded even while Iwas there into urban agriculture
(15:26):
food production, so locallygrown, sometimes organic
production, and even homehorticulture. The Center for
Urban Agriculture is housedwithin the University of Georgia
College of Agricultural andEnvironmental Sciences, and I
think the important thing isthat it's non departmental. It
(15:48):
includes people from alldepartments, and not just in our
college. And it supportsextension and research programs
in sustainable turf grass, urbanenvironment, nursery landscape,
local food, professionaltraining and certification,
household and structural pestmanagement, urban forestry. So
(16:09):
they cover a lot of ground.
Jordan Powers (16:11):
A lot of amazing work being done out of the
Center for Urban Ag, and we willlink their site in the show
notes for listeners as well.
Emily Davenport (16:18):
What your day to day like in that role as the
director?
Kris Braman (16:21):
It involved a lot of Extension education
coordinated through the countydelivery system. Building
collaborations was a big part ofalmost every day, and just
making those connections.
Jordan Powers (16:33):
So we know you gave a TED talk last week, and
it is Monday, the day we'rerecording this, and you gave a
TED talk on Friday. So first ofall, thank you for joining us.
We're right at the heels of thatamazing TED Talk. And we'll of
course link that in the shownotes for our listeners. While
it's fresh in your mind, tell usa bit about what that experience
was like?
Kris Braman (16:53):
Well, it was a wonderful experience and a
fabulous opportunity to havethat platform to be able to
advocate for pollinatorprotection and bee conservation.
So it was truly marvelous.
Emily Davenport (17:05):
Tell us a little bit more about your talk,
what did-- you talked about thesecrets of city bees? I think
that's what it was called?
Kris Braman (17:12):
Yes. And I will go straight to the punch line that
I learned many new things today.
But I think the focus is is sothe secret of city bees is
trees. So we looked at mainlythe effect of landscape context,
meaning number of trees nearby,intensity of development, or
even proximity to farms, to beeabundance and diversity on
residential landscapes. And wewere just overwhelmingly
(17:34):
surprised at the bee diversitythat we found. Coming down to
the bottom line, we found thatthe amount of remnant forest in
the city really impacted beeabundance and diversity. So we
really need to keep forest coverat the forefront when we are
looking at conservation planningfor mixed use landscapes. And
(17:57):
you know, it makes total sense,because historically, the
eastern United States wasmuch on the pollination of
flowers and crops that I feelforested, and now we were
deforested here for cottonproduction, and then we
reforested, and then we lostthose trees again, when we
started building residentialcommunities. And those remnant
(18:19):
forests, the trees are reallyimportant. Nearly a third of the
wild bees in the eastern UnitedStates are forest bees.
(18:40):
like if you polled 100 people,forest is not the first thing
that comes to mind.
Emily Davenport (18:43):
Yeah. And why is it the forest? What's the
trees doing for the bees?
Kris Braman (18:47):
So many questions.
Emily Davenport (18:48):
So many questions.
Kris Braman (18:49):
Yeah, yes. And these are questions that I have.
And then what trees are the bestfor bees? You know, we can put
together and we have puttogether some guides to help
people pick out trees that weknow are good for bees. But for
example, oaks are windpollinated, and they don't
necessarily need the bees. Butdo bees use oaks? That's one of
(19:12):
the things that we want to findout. And there's some exciting
work going on all around thecountry. And what percentage of
hardwoods would we need? Howmany trees do you need for the
bees? And that's not to say thatthe flowering herbaceous plants
are not important. They areimportant. But I think there has
been little emphasis on thetrees and I think they're really
(19:34):
having an impact.
Emily Davenport (19:35):
I have so many more questions.
Jordan Powers (19:36):
I feel like there's so much to unpack.
Emily Davenport (19:38):
We need a whole other episode.
Jordan Powers (19:39):
We both have the spinning computer wheel in our
brains right now, justprocessing.
Emily Davenport (19:43):
I know that leaf litter is important for
bees overwintering, is that thereason why they're important for
city bees or is it it beyondthat?
Kris Braman (19:52):
It can be but it can also be that trees produce
pollen, you know they flower andproduce pollen, and bees can use
those trees. But also nestinghabitat, right? So I think it's
not just a single thing. I thinkit's a more complicated picture.
Jordan Powers (20:08):
Fascinating, complicated picture. So outside
of the importance of trees, tellus a bit how you are helping
pollinators in your lifepersonally.
Kris Braman (20:19):
Well, I am trying to do exactly what I'm asking
other people to do.
Emily Davenport (20:25):
Lead by example.
Kris Braman (20:27):
Yeah. So let me just tell you a few things that
I am doing and that I'm askingother people to do. And the
number one thing is that we needto tolerate a little messiness
in our yards and gardens. And Ican definitely already check
that box. So consider leavingsome bare ground in your yard
(20:48):
because the vast majority ofwild bees are ground nesting, so
what you're doing is leavingspace for them to set up
homekeeping. And then I alsofind that that is such a good
excuse for the lawn police thatobject to those bare spots in
your yard. You can tell them thespots are intentional.
Jordan Powers (21:11):
We're inviting our bee friends over.
Emily Davenport (21:13):
That's right, it's the bee house.
Kris Braman (21:15):
But when you are cleaning up flower gardens at
the end of the season, leavesome stems for nesting bees to
have a home, cavity dwellingbees. Instead of formal gardens
go for cottage gardens that havea riot of color all season long.
Be sure that your bees haveaccess to water and plant more
(21:37):
trees for the bees.
Jordan Powers (21:38):
The access to water was one that I never fully
thought about until we startedbringing out my kids' water
table and kiddie pool in thesummer. So it's not chlorinated,
it's just the garden hose. Andthe number of bees that will
come up and even just sit on thepavement and get a drink of
water. I was like, oh, you allare thirsty. I'm like, at least
we can you know knock out twothings. We got the kids happy
(21:59):
because they're playing in thewater and we've got the
pollinators getting a little bitof a drink in the meantime.
Kris Braman (22:04):
Yeah.
Emily Davenport (22:04):
I need to put a little bee drinking fountain in
Jordan Powers (22:07):
I know, I'm like, I need to be more intentional
my house.
about this, because it onlyhappens when there's a water
play day.
Emily Davenport (22:11):
I know, right?
Jordan Powers (22:11):
I need to be more intentional about my bee
hydration,
Emily Davenport (22:13):
That's right, hydrate your bees.
Jordan Powers (22:15):
There's a new campaign.
Emily Davenport (22:17):
we're doing on the podcast where people have
been submitting their questionsto ask. So the first question
has to do with leaf footed bugs.
And how do we work with otherbeneficials to prevent this
little fella. And tell us moreabout leaf footed bugs if you
(22:40):
know because I don't know whatthat is.
Kris Braman (22:44):
Yes, leaf footed bugs can show up almost every
year in the garden. And they'recalled leaf footed bugs because
they have an enlarged part ontheir hind legs. So they look
like leaves, their legs looklike leaves literally. And they
can be problems on tomatoes forsure, but also on some other
(23:06):
garden plants. Sometimes theycan reach really high numbers.
Now they do have some naturalenemies, predators like assassin
bugs, general predators. Thereare some parasitic flies that
can attack leaf footed bugs. Butone thing that you can do is
(23:27):
just to be real vigilant withthe scouting and lots of times
insects reach large numbers, andit seems like it's overnight but
it's really not. So just to beon site and and see egg masses
or when they first hatch out.
And lots of times just handremoval can take care of that.
(23:48):
One thing, if we have a reallylarge garden and you know that
this is a problem time and timeagain, you might consider some
type of trap crop. Now trap cropmeans you have something that is
more attractive to the pest thatyou want to manage. You plant
(24:10):
that earlier than your otherplants, so they're up and
growing before, say, yourtomatoes come in. And one of the
best things for leaf footed bugsis sunflowers. So there you get
sunflowers, the keys there areto make sure you get those
planted well ahead of time. Andthen also you just want to keep
(24:33):
watch on the trap crop and youmay want to manage the leaf
footed bugs there or you may beokay with just sacrificing those
plants.
Jordan Powers (24:43):
I was gonna say, once you have the trap crop,
then what? You just answeredthat for me you either sacrifice
or you you do your pestmanagement on those.
Emily Davenport (24:51):
It's a little IPM in your garden.
Kris Braman (24:53):
Yeah.
Emily Davenport (24:54):
I love it.
Jordan Powers (24:55):
Hopefully we won't have to deal with them
this year but--
Emily Davenport (24:58):
I do have sunflowers in my garden though
this year. So maybe I won't haveto deal with these bugs that I
knew nothing about until fiveminutes ago.
Jordan Powers (25:07):
So our next question is from a first time
gardener, and they would like toknow how to stay ahead of the
pest game without hurting thegood bugs in the garden?
Kris Braman (25:18):
That's a great question. And I think I'm just
gonna go back to what we weresaying about leaf footed bugs,
scout, scout scout, be out thereand looking. So for whatever
you're going to plant in thegarden, do a little research,
find out what are going to bethe major pests there, and be
out and looking for them, sothat you can maybe just do some
(25:41):
hand removal early and not haveto deal with quite so many
pests.
Jordan Powers (25:47):
And one thing I personally learned on that front
with my first couple of gardens,and I feel like I reteach myself
every year, the importance ofturning the leaves over.
Emily Davenport (25:56):
Yes.
Jordan Powers (25:57):
Because it's so easy. And I'm sure there's a
scientific reason that so manypests are on the underside of
the leaves. Maybe it's a builtin protection, but I'd go out
and look at I'm like, oh,everything's fine. And then the
next day, I'm like, everythingis clearly not fine anymore. And
you flip a leaf over and all ofa sudden you're like, there you
all are just munching away.
Kris Braman (26:16):
That's a great point. Because close inspection
of the plants really does mean,yep, turn those leaves over.
Jordan Powers (26:24):
And check the stems, and...
Emily Davenport (26:26):
Yep.
Jordan Powers (26:27):
It's a labor of love.
Kris Braman (26:29):
Another thing you might consider or people might
consider doing is, you know,weave some flowers into your
vegetable garden. You attractall of the beneficial insects
and the pollinators. Plus youget some cut flowers.
Jordan Powers (26:42):
Can't lose there.
Emily Davenport (26:43):
Yeah.
Jordan Powers (26:43):
We have covered a lot of ground today. Is there
anything that we've missed thatyou want our listeners to know
about the Department ofEntomology, about the work
coming out of the department?
Kris Braman (26:55):
I just think that we have such a tremendous
impact. And insects are soimportant and such a part of
everybody's lives, even thoughthey may not know it. So
entomology is a great place tobuild a career. I'm biased,
but... And our undergraduateprograms are, yes, in
(27:21):
entomology, but also in appliedbiotechnology. And those two
areas mesh together really wellto make a student extremely
competitive on the job market.
So thank you for the opportunityto share a little bit about our
department.
Jordan Powers (27:39):
Absolutely. Thank you again for joining us. It has
been a wonderful time learningmore.
Sound Effect (27:44):
[music]
Emily Davenport (27:45):
Thanks for listening to Cultivating
Curiosity, a podcast produced bythe UGA College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences. Aspecial thanks to Mason
McClintock for our music andsound effects. Find more
episodes wherever you get yourpodcasts.
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