Entomologist Richard Bradley says spiders are "charismatically challenged."
They come out at night. You never know if they're hanging around. And their mating ritual often ends violently.
But he and other researchers at Ohio State say spiders—and other maligned creatures such as snakes and bees—are more fascinating than terrifying and play an important role in nature.
Water snakes at Lake Erie control the population of round goby, a predator of smallmouth bass eggs. Snakes protect agricultural crops by controlling rodent populations. Spiders are important in pest control. And a healthy honey bee population is important to agriculture and pollination.
"I don't expect people to like spiders," says Professor Bradley, "but I want them to understand their importance to the ecosystem."
Here's a quick look at some of the "creepy" research being done at Ohio State.
- Although folklore hasn't been kind to snakes, advocates such as “The Snake Lady” at Ohio State’s Stone Lab rattle off their good points. Read more.
- Ohio State entomologists have been busy investigating the decline in Ohio’s honey bee population, as well as recovering from a tornado that destroyed a beekeeping building in Wooster. Read more.
- Ohio State researchers are conducting a survey of spiders in Ohio and finding there's more to like than fear about the eight-legged creatures. Read more.
- Researcher Michael Vasey, who directs the Anxiety and Stress Disorders Clinic at Ohio State, is working to ease the “ick” factor for patients with spider phobias. Read more.
View features by category
- Academics
- Alumni
- Arts
- Athletics
- Buckeye Pride
- Commercialization
- Diversity
- Faculty
- Faculty/Staff
- Food/Agriculture
- Giving
- Health/Wellness
- International
- Outreach
- Research/Innovation
- Students
- Sustainability