The attitude of ordinary people to entomologists

In our country, when people see a person with a net, the first question is: "Do you catch ticks ? ". It's hard to see the population being intimidated by encephalitis... I usually don't argue and agree.

We do not catch ticks with nets; -)))) therefore, such assumptions are not put forward. How many people have seen me with a net - they always wonder if the fish bites, if I caught a lot? We have a net-an attribute of a fisherman. I do not argue, I say that the bite is bad, but I caught something;-)) This is if in the flat part. And if with a net, yes in the mountains... People are surprised - what am I doing with "fishing rods" in such a place? There are no fish here! ;- ))) "Excuse me, are you fishing here?"

You can't disappoint people!

Yes. I'm too shy to go with a net. I catch mostly with traps, but I have to walk with a shovel. And on the net, we also react, meaning fishing. And with a reproach (mostly), like " who goes fishing with the same net...".
I don't carry a net, so I didn't answer these things.
But with a shovel and traps, I had to "give interviews" to the curious population.
I tried different things. I know I can't go into too much detail. Depending on the situation, I answer differently: a) "I install mines"; b) " yes, we are engaged in science... we catch beetles, ... yes, yes, beetles, worms (I agree with their options, I make it clear that the person himself knows everything)"; c) I answer right away - " I catch beetles... very much needed... I just wanted to."

In general, I think that there is no simple solution to this problem.
There is, in my opinion, only one way out: to recruit a part of the local population (teenagers) into the ranks of entomologists. But how???

This post was edited by Adamov - 12/21/2007 19: 31

When I was younger, I was also shy. And now it became "on the drum", as long as they did not bother with questions and did not interfere.

I'm of the same opinion-as long as they don't interfere.
By autumn, we had Lampides boeticus in the city, so we had to run right in the central part at the intersection of two streets with a net behind them. And take pictures standing on all fours in the weeds right on the side of the street. People passed by - no one paid any visible attention, everyone had their own things to do. One aunt just asked, " What did I find there?" "A butterfly," I say. I went, shaking my head - "Who cares..."

And at the expense of protecting traps from shepherds, I think this may not always be a problem. The shepherd is usually somewhere in plain sight, you can come up and get acquainted, explain what's going on and ask that you don't touch it. He's human, too. Especially if you present him with a pack of cigarettes. Or a bottle of vodka. It will also protect you;-)
Sometimes I have to communicate with shepherds, they are curious about what I do here. In my opinion, it is quite possible to negotiate with them. Shepherds, they are actually philosophers:
"So you're studying a butterfly!.. Butterfly... how does she live... and what kind of fucking insect is she?......."

Hooray, flood about the reaction of mortals!!!!!! I love Flood

People often ask about fishing.. and even when the net is not laid out: "How's the catch?", " Is something being caught?", " Are you fishing?" But this is still what..
This year I was shouted that "here" crocodiles are not found, with a rough Moldovan accent
But a more interesting situation was when I was digging in *omna, and this was seen by one shepherd.. And his eyes pop out of his head and he tries to pretend that he doesn't care, and he doesn't notice at all.. It is good that there is little traffic on the roads near which I catch, otherwise there would be a lot of accidents
And this year, a group of vacationers offered to drink a glass of wine after I answered that I was catching butterflies

In general, people are sometimes interested in this.. they start asking questions, like: "how many types of insects do we have" or say "What do we catch, nothing flies"

Hooray, flood about the reaction of mortals!!!!!! I love Flood
In general, people are sometimes interested in this.. they start asking questions, like: "how many species of insects do we have" or say "What do we catch, nothing flies"

That's right. I am still surprised by the lack of curiosity and unobservance of the vast majority of the population. Sometimes, at the request of your wife, you show the collection to the guests (who are not profane in this business), and they are surprised: "And this is all common in the Yaroslavl region?! Never seen it before! Where do you find them?" And if you say that this is from manure, and this is from carrion, they generally fall into a stupor. You go with them through the forest, in the field, etc. - they do not see anything around them, they are amazed when you stop and draw their attention to something interesting: a caterpillar, a butterfly, a beetle...

2Dmitrich
And if you say that the dead eater from the strangled man, there is not only a stupor....

2Dmitrich
And if you say that you are a dead eater from a strangled man, it's not just a stupor....

Hello, dear! Yes, you know what happened...

The fact that ordinary people do not see even 10% of the diversity of invertebrates is a fact. By the way, I also didn't know that there were so many invertebrates before uni... and they're all around us...

When I was in the Crimea in a holiday home, after answering the question of what I catch with a net, (essno, butterflies), it usually followed: what kind of crap flies during the day, like a hummingbird? I: what is this huge gray creature that flies over the flower beds at night? (bindweed hawk moth)

cool topic, you can tell a lot of things
We have an agricultural region, so these very farmers always associate a net with some thread of an agricultural object. I was once asked - Do you have an innovative type of chopper? No, I say-rake Saw insects in the stain, a couple of times interested in the recipe for their preparation. We have such a people – if a person collects something, then it can be eaten! But the guy who killed me the most was a jewelry salesman. We had an exhibition of these very biryulek, so I stopped at the earrings in the form of dragonflies. We stand with my husband and laugh, like you already have insects in your ears! The guy asks – what's the big deal? My husband says that she is an entomologist, we already have insects everywhere! And the guy says – And what should an entomologist do here? I immediately felt like something like a humanoid, and not like a woman interested in jewelry.
That's how we live – we don't understand them, but they don't understand us!

about the rake -

In fact, there's nothing to blame them for.. Well, they are not interested in anything, well, what can you do.. burn and that's all
Previously, I myself thought that only 1 species of pigeon flies here - Icarus, and when I started to slowly add up the collection - about 2 years later

Once I get into a minibus on the way back, next to the uncle sits down, by the way, in that direction we will shoot the same video. He asks - well, how is the catch, is there any fish? I-I don't fish, I collect insects. So the guy was so happy that there are people who are interested in insects, that all the way my brain was floating about what where when and who, etc., etc. Yes, and it was interesting for me to tell, show the catch The guy even decided to pay for me for travel

Some people say to me,"And you don't feel sorry for them." And one friend said, looking at the beetles in the box, " They have a soul..." She thought and says "Little"....

The best way out is a folding net. Or go not alone, but with a group – there can't be mass madness! In general, walking with a net is the best way to test your Christian humility ...

Gee. My wife for 15 years of marriage and could not accept. Hesitates to tell her relatives that the overgrown moron running around with a net around the summer village is her husband. The son also prefers to stay away. But the daughter goes to bed with a net, demands personal staining straighteners, even selected a couple of boxes for "her" collection.

I was more fortunate in this respect. My husband immediately took my lesson well and helps me in any way he can. And it will take you where you need to go, and it will help you catch them. Sometimes he sets traps himself on a business trip. There's nothing to say about my son. He's an entomologist growingup. Even my mother-in-law, who used to think collecting insects was the stupidest thing in her life, can now bring a bug by herself.

The best way out is a folding net. Or go not alone, but with a group – there can't be mass madness! In general, walking with a net is the best way to test your Christian humility …

Exactly, exactly. A folding net and put it in your bag. Remove only if there are no people present.

I was more fortunate in this respect. My husband immediately took my lesson well and helps me in any way he can. And it will take you where you need to go, and it will help you catch them. Sometimes he sets traps himself on a business trip. There's nothing to say about my son. He's an entomologist growingup. Even my mother-in-law, who used to think collecting insects was the stupidest thing in her life, can now bring a bug by herself.

I even infected my boss with entomology. I showed the collection - the person was blown away by the number of insects found in our country and now he brings beetles from the dacha all summer. 90% nonsense, but I caught some interesting leaf eaters. In September, an interesting staphylin was brought in.
What not to say, and from the authorities there is a benefit.

I even became convinced that entomologist is the most unexpected profession for others. When they find out, they are very surprised. Even for relatives (not for everyone), such a "hobby" has one explanation - childhood is stuck somewhere in the brain, but everything should pass.

Ordinary people? Yes, I put on them! I don't really care what they think
For example, I'm in the Crimea in the bot. garden. People don't care...So what?


This post was edited by Zhuk - 23.12.2007 14: 22

Thanks for the awesome theme!
In the swamps under Vyshny Volochok on peat maps, local potatoes are planted (no need to water and savor) and grow-ogogo! When we met the locals, we asked where the gonobob grows here, and more? (they don't use the word blueberry.) We were kindly shown where it is better to go, where this blueberry-gonobobl grows more, where cranberries, where cloudberries. "Be careful, "they said," Look under your feet - snakes are crawling here. But it's still early for berries, we need to go later "(it was June). In response, we said that we are in the field of biology, etc. They wished us good luck.
In Primorye, on the coastal hills near Vityaz Bay, vacationers from Khabarovsk noticed us and took a very lively interest.
When we were caught in the light, the grandson of the owners was always with us and, I must say, helped us well. Neighbors asked the hostess what kind of lamp you had burning at night? Hearing about Muscovites collecting butterflies, neighbors nodded understandingly: "Ah, the butterfly professors have arrived."

At the dacha, you spend the night fishing at the screen, and in the morning you will meet a neighbor who will almost certainly ask: "Well, how did you catch what yesterday?"

In most cases, the attitude of the population is positive. It happens that someone twirls a finger at the temple, it happens that a conservationist gets caught.
But it's better not to stand out too much, so it's calmer.

It's a sin for me to take offense at my relatives and people who are more or less close to me. Here the understanding is complete. My wife and mother go in the summer with "bubbles" in their purse-pockets, so that on occasion they can put a crawling "present" for me there. The brother-in-law (a passionate fisherman by hobby) will also not pass by the crawling beetle. My wife (a musician by training), after meeting me, became quite well versed in the beetle families. At least, he can easily distinguish barbels, nutcrackers, leaf-eaters, lamellar whiskers, staphylines, elephants, floaters, ground beetles - these families are not confused, which for a person far from biology, I consider a very major achievement. My collection is our family pride for her. If immediately after our wedding, she was distraught and moved away from me when I (on my" honeymoon "in Abkhazia) enthusiastically picked at cow "cakes", then this year, not at all embarrassed, she helped me dig geotrups out of horse manure. My friends drag and carry everything they can find and catch, and they are proud that my collection contains the specimens they have obtained. Ridicule and stupid statements come only from people whose existence or absence in this world is noticeably less noticeable to me than the smell of distilled water.

This post was edited by Dmitrich - 12/23/2007 18: 00

When I was in Armenia, I had a funny conversation with a local adult peasant, who was preparing the breed for transportation downhill on the top of a fairly large mountain, I don't remember why.
And so. an Armenian is sitting on a rock, smoking ... Here I appear with a rampet at the ready, from the side where normal people do not go.
The fact that I came from Russia and catch butterflies here, of course, he knew (thanks to friends who told everyone about it, as it seemed to me, even before my arrival).
The conversation goes like this:
"a scientist?"
- no,
what follows is a complete misunderstanding ..., I explain:
- here I came on vacation
- and for your money you catch butterflies here?!!!
- yes
, the guy even stopped smoking, he bulged his eyes at me and said an amazing phrase, which after the "completion" sounds somewhere like this:
- I'm freaking out from you, from the Russians! (instead of "awesome", there was another verb)

In general, people in the Caucasus are very practical and this "throwing out" of money is very difficult for them to understand

Once upon a time, an aunt kept asking me: why, for what purpose do I collect butterflies?
I couldn't answer then.
I still wouldn't be able to answer.

Different people also react differently to my hobby, but mostly passers - by look like a psycho, Then they will pass by so carefully and say, like what do you catch, they are alive... Then they say, like I'm crazy. Although quite often and understandingly look. Once I rummage through the woods and almost head-on collide with some guy. He literally said and stunned me: "Che, you catch butterflies... That's right, butterflies should also be studied!". Well done man! If only there were more such people, the life of entomologists would be easier!

This is not just in the Caucasus. In any self-respecting village (I grew up in the village myself), people spend money either on alcohol or on something very practical (getting dressed, medical treatment, training, repairs, etc., etc.)

That's for sure! Moreover, the part of the population that drinks all the money has the same attitude towards urban people and those who are engaged in incomprehensible things like entomology (as well as to artists who come to plein-air-I know from my own experience) - these city people spend money on CHE popala, but people don't have enough vodka!

It's a sin for me to take offense at my relatives and people who are more or less close to me. Here the understanding is complete. My wife and mother go in the summer with "bubbles" in their purse-pockets, so that on occasion they can put a crawling "present" for me there. The brother-in-law (a passionate fisherman by hobby) will also not pass by the crawling beetle. My wife (a musician by training), after meeting me, became quite well versed in the beetle families. At least, he can easily distinguish barbels, nutcrackers, leaf-eaters, lamellar whiskers, staphylines, elephants, floaters, ground beetles - these families are not confused, which for a person far from biology, I consider a very major achievement. My collection is our family pride for her. If immediately after our wedding, she was distraught and moved away from me when I (on my" honeymoon "in Abkhazia) enthusiastically picked at cow "cakes", then this year, not at all embarrassed, she helped me dig geotrups out of horse manure. My friends drag and carry everything they can find and catch, and they are proud that my collection contains the specimens they have obtained. Ridicule and stupid statements come only from people whose existence or absence in this world is noticeably less noticeable to me than the smell of distilled water.

My friend doesn't just know about beetle families. I gave her an old plant identification card, so she now writes for leaf-eating elephants on which plants she caught. Not bad in plants began to understand.

And one friend (a fan of Japanese culture) made me laugh a lot. For the last three years, he has been traveling to the Yuga and bringing one beetle each. Of the same type. For the third time, I couldn't stand it and asked:
-Oleg, are you showing your attitude to my hobby in such a veiled Oriental way?
All three times, from completely different places, a person brings me Pentodon idiota...

Not. Bullshit all your entomology .
Lucce Mermaids and Water Animals

In my village, such people look at me with understanding. I give them vodka sometimes. It's free for me.

Mermaids are rare these days. But it's easier to catch a good beetle.

A drunken village peasant commented on my collection of animals (though not insects): "There is no one in the country to dig holes, and you are here.....!". By the way, the village practicality of our people (Far Easterners) is often very impractical in terms of how they farm, what they plant and... how to deal with harmful insects. Phrases "Have you tried to poison them with vitriol?" I hear it often. None of my relatives in the village have a single book about pests (and the ones that were brought were used in the most practical way - as kindling or toilet paper).

Sometimes it happens, they do a "disservice".
In a student camp, a shovel flew into the tent in the lamplight. One of my friends decided to help and catch me. Despite my excuses, he slapped his hands together and smeared an insect between them.
But I sincerely wanted to help.

Sometimes it happens, they do a "disservice".
In a student camp, a shovel flew into the tent in the lamplight. One of my friends decided to help and catch me. Despite my excuses, he slapped his hands together and smeared an insect between them.
But I sincerely wanted to help.

Well, he was clearly catching a moth (a common method for housewives)! After all, for the vast majority of ordinary people, every furry " fat " (as they say) moth is a moth. And, therefore, it must be destroyed! And to fight this prejudice is useless, as well as with the annoying opinion of summer gardeners that toads and frogs eat their beloved strawberries!

Oh, yes! There's definitely nothing you can do about it. Even if you show some informative bourgeois film about how frogs ' vision works. After that, they say-after all, they eat blindly!

Oh, yes! There's definitely nothing you can do about it. Even if you show some informative bourgeois film about how frogs ' vision works. After that, they say-after all, they eat blindly!

Uh-huh! And to detailed, accessible (seemingly) explanations about what and how amphibians eat, ordinary people only slyly grin: "What are they doing in the strawberry beds then?" They look at you like you're a fool. And really, to sit next to a delicious strawberry-strawberry and eat a slug, fly or beetle at the same time - what could be more stupid from the point of view of their "common" sense