He Loves Bugs

Are you afraid of insects? Samuel Ramsey was terrified of them as a kid. Today, it’s his job to study these small creatures.

Ramsey goes by the nickname Dr. Sammy. He’s an entomologist. That’s a scientist who studies insects. He works at the United States Department of Agriculture. His current work focuses on bees. He wants to keep them healthy.

Dr. Sammy looks at insects through a microscope in a lab.

Some of Dr. Sammy’s work is done outdoors. Some is done in the lab. He uses a microscope × microscope JSOLIE—GETTY IMAGES a device used to view very small objects (noun) The bacteria could only be seen under a microscope. . He looks at sick bees. He makes medicines to help them get better. “My job gives me the opportunity to do so many different things over the course of the day,” Dr. Sammy told TIME for Kids.

Learning a Lot

Dr. Sammy grew up reading about insects. It helped him be less afraid of them.

How did Dr. Sammy get past his fear of insects? He read about them. He says learning about insects can teach us about ourselves. In fact, insects are more similar to us than we might think.

Dr. Sammy’s work focuses on keeping bees healthy. He also creates medicines to help sick bees get better.

“Crickets used to keep me up at night,” Dr. Sammy says. “I hated it.” Then he uncovered × uncover PEOPLEIMAGES—GETTY IMAGES to find; to reveal or make known (verb) Fossils can help us uncover the past. something interesting. Crickets don’t make noise to be annoying. They do it to tell other crickets that they’re lonely. Many insects are social creatures, just like we are. Dr. Sammy thinks entomology is an awesome field. But one thing stands out to him. “The field of entomology needs diversity,” Dr. Sammy says. He hopes kids of all races and backgrounds will grow up to become entomologists. “When you bring in diversity, you’re able to solve problems in new ways,” he says.