Entomologists Lead to Surprising Conclusions About History, Disease, or Solving Crimes

Entomology is the study of insects; therefore an entomologist is one who studies and researches insects for a living. This research is done for a variety of reasons. As an entomologist, you might discover for instance, what makes locusts destroy crops by figuring out what has suddenly become lacking in their natural habitat in order to make them branch out to look for other food. Insects can provide clues as to the history of civilizations on earth, and can be used to make educated guesses about how life on earth might evolve, based on the evolution of insects in the past and how they are evolving in the present tense. Entomologists can help determine the causes of certain diseases by studying insects and their habitats - for instance, mosquitoes in certain areas are known to cause malaria. Organic farmers rely on studies of insects in order to control pests on their crops. As an organic farmer, they can't use pesticides, so most organic farmers control crop pests by introducing other insects that eat the pests, which are eating the crops. Entomology can even be used to help solve crimes. By understanding the life cycles of insects that inhabit decomposing bodies, it's possible to figure out when death occurred.

As you can see, the study of entomology definitely has its place. Because of the large variety of insects, anyone who enjoys the study of insects would have plenty of species to study and lots of ways in which to put their research to good use.

Often, entomologists must work outside, depending on the type of work they do. Those who research a particular insect's natural habitat, for example, would spend hours watching insects in nature. If you enjoy nature, this would be a good choice of profession for you; however if you don't like working outside, you may still be an entomologist and participate only in indoor studies. Most jobs in the research field of entomology will require a master's degree or higher; however you can obtain entry level positions with only a bachelor's degree and then participate in several years of field work, perhaps even compiling a study in your spare time, which would qualify you for research grants or for employment in research laboratories. The salaries range anywhere from $29,000 a year for entry-level positions to $60,000 for those involved in research.

For those who like insects, and enjoy studying nature at its most basic, entomology might be a great career field to get into. It's interesting, helpful in many areas, and there's not a lot of competition, especially in the entry-level positions. If you have the patience to start low and work your way up, or the education level to start closer to the top, it's a great profession.

Environmental Science Resources