Ryan: Good day, guys. My name is Ryan Bridge. People call me The Bug Man. The reason they call me The Bug Man is because I go out to schools and churches and libraries and birthday parties, and all kinds of cool places. What I do is, I go out every day, I find a group of people that want to learn about bugs, and I teach them all about bugs and insects.
I got into insects when I was about five years old, and all kids like insects when they’re five years old, but most of those kids kind of wane off or wear off. I didn’t do that. I stayed with it. I stayed interested in it.
I bring the live bugs because I want to make sure everybody understands that bugs and insects are not out there to hurt you, to bite you, to sting you, to kill you. They aren’t going to attack small children. They’re not trying to take over the planet. They’re out there because they just want to be left alone, they want to live one more day. They don’t like the way you look, smell, or taste, so you don’t have to worry about those sorts of things when it comes to bugs and insects. These are Madagascar hissing cockroaches.
Boy: Cool!
Ryan: Most people have no real idea as to what is out there just in their backyards, not only what’s around the world, but what’s going on in their backyards.
This is Penelope. Penelope is a rose hair tarantula. Penelope takes the gold medal for the bug who lives the longest. These spiders can live for 35 years.
Boy: Oh, wow!
Ryan: If you want to hold a bug, all you’ve got to do is make a little bowl with your hands, just like this. Guys, if we could move down this way?
It’s not only about some outreach, and it’s about awareness for people. I like to make sure everybody understands the importance of insects. I like to make sure everybody understands that insects are the most numerous thing on this planet, that the planet literally can’t survive without them.