The Wake

Genius: Jeffrey Hahn, Assistant Extension Entomologist in Urban Entomology

Motto: “No Jitters from Critters”

The Wake: When I hear the word “entomologist,” I think of butterflies being pinned into glass cases. What is the field of entomology really about?

The Prof: There is actually a lot going on in entomology. There is a lot of applied research; People research crop pests, bed bugs, pests of landscape plants, and so on. We also have basic research, which is not necessarily going after a specific problem but can often lead to helpful information for us.

The critter man

Our faculty and staff are divided into one of three areas: teaching, research and extension, which may not be as clear to people. I am 100 percent in extension. It’s basically outreach and education. Extension is kind of a third arm at the University, but not everyone interacts with people in extension.

I submit information in several different fashions. One would be to actually go out and put on a program, which I actually did this past Monday night, and talked to master gardeners. But it’s not practical to get to every group that could use the information in this way.

The media is another group I interact with. As topics arise, I try to get the message out. But right now, the biggest way to do that is through our website <www.extension.umn.edu/gardeninfo>.

It’s pretty new, since last Thanksgiving. It is a Horticulture oriented website, but there is a link for insects. The site allows people to self-diagnose their pest problems. There are still a lot of features that are ‘Coming soon,’ because it is a work in progress, but the common stuff is fairly easy to get. People may still have other questions, and that’s fine.

The website also has a newsletter that I contribute articles to regularly. And I am actually in the process of writing a field guide of insects.

The Wake: What is it that differentiates an Urban Entomologist?

The Prof: In the broad sense I deal with insects in and around homes, in gardens and landscapes. I do most anything except agricultural insects.

The Wake: What made you want to study entomology?

The Prof: I actually remember, I was in my junior or senior year thinking, “What am I going to do after I graduate?” At the time I was pursuing a BS in Biology. I remember seeing a poster for grad work in Entomology and thought that sounded like something I could do. I’ve always liked insects. So off to grad school I went and basically from there to this job.

The Wake: I noticed that you also have an undergraduate degree in Geography.

The Prof:Originally I was a biology major and geography minor, but I just needed a few more credits for the second major. The double major hasn’t really helped. It doesn’t really have much impact on what I am doing now, but it was fun at the time.

The Wake: If you were not an entomologist, what do you think you would be doing today?

The Prof: That’s a scary question actually. I’m really not sure. Searching for a job after grad school, I saw this job and thought, “If I don’t get this job, what am I going to do?” Fortunately, I did get this job.

The Wake: Do you have any favorite insects?

The Prof: One of the things I like to do as kind of a hobby, but that fits with my job is insect photography. So, some of my favorite insects to photograph are Scorpion Flies. Tiger Beatles are a challenge to photograph, but also one of my favorites. Essentially, nothing is mundane. Especially when you get behind a camera, you see things that you wouldn’t otherwise.

The Wake: Have you had any bad experiences dealing with pest control?

The Prof: You kind of have to take those experiences in stride. I do remember photographing yellow jackets and getting stung, or going into an apartment that had cockroaches and later wondering if I had brought them home with me. And I don’t go to hotels anymore without thinking about Bed bugs. Mostly pests get tolerated, but if they get to be too much of a pest, they won’t survive long in my house.