The Bug Lady

We went on a field trip with our homeschool co-op today to see The Bug Lady. She owns a studio with a whole bunch of different animals that she educates people about. There are insects, snakes, lizards, birds, ferrets, turtles, guinea pigs, frogs, rabbits and a hedgehog. Below are some pics, but they are just a small sample of the many animals she has. Some of the animals were rescued by cruel owners. Most of them are not poisonous, and she only allowed animals that would not hurt anybody to be touched and held.

The Bug Lady said she feels a little awkward when people want her picture taken with them because she's "just a former kindergarten teacher." Lauren wanted a pic with her because The Bug Lady is on TV. I told her she is a local celebrity!

Her background with these animals began with her 5th grade teacher who kept critters in his classroom. She said she never liked creepy crawlies but at the end of that year she changed her feelings. She later became a kindergarten teacher who kept animals in her classroom. When she stopped teaching, her teacher friends wanted her to continue coming with her animals to show their students, and the business just took off from there.

Her studio is cutely decorated with themed posters, and art work. Her apron and tablecloths were made with insect patterned material. She has a funny personality and made lots of comments that made us all laugh.

The lobby area has great wall art as well a jungle/outdoors theme.

She had several animals in containers on the floor that the kids could hold.

Some cages and tanks lined the wall filled with a variety of animals.

Kids sat criss-cross applesauce in rows so she could walk between them with the animals and not trip over legs.

She would walk by everybody and let them either look through the protective containers to view the animals, or she would carry them in her hand and we could touch them. She called on some adults and kids to be helpers. Most of the time she had them close their eyes and then she would put something into their hands. One of the older boys she put about 4-5 hissing cockroaches on him and he walked around letting us touch them. They were crawling all over him and one got under his pant leg and as soon as that happened he brushed it off onto the floor and squeals and a lot of movement began as the bug crawled around on the floor. The adults were more hilarious though. They were more nervous than the kids and provided lots of laughs as they made faces, or even changed their minds and ran away from the critter.

This was one of the best field trips we have ever been on--very educational and very fun. I wish The Bug Lady much success with her business.

Lauren was given the ferret to hold, and she just wasn't sure what to do with it. We just started passing it around to other kids.

Hedgehog trying to hide under cloth.