University of Nebraska-Lincoln

The Good, The Bad, and The Bugly:

Entomology and Pest Management

Entomology 496A

About the course:

The Good, The Bad and The Bugly is an eight week course that presents the basics of entomology and pest management. It covers specifics of insect biology and identification, particularly as those specifics pertain to practical questions. The pest management portion addresses the theory and practice of pest management, including issues such as management tactics, sampling, thresholds, pesticide properties, biological control, and environmental risk.

The schedule and lecture topics:

The videotapes will begin to arrive at your home in January. Each tape will contain 2 to 3 lessons.

Bugs and Pests -- Introduction to Entomology and Pest Management
Whoa, Are There Ever a Lot of These Things -- Diversity and Identification I
What the Heck is That? -- Diversity and Identification II
It's Hard to be a Larva -- Growth and Development
Live Fast, Die Young -- Life Cycles
An Attic Full of Flies -- Seasonal Cycles and Adaptations
Tracking the Highs and Lows -- Population Ecology I
Numbers, Numbers, Numbers -- Population Ecology II
The Good, the Bad and the Bugly -- Principles of Pest Management
I Think That I Have Never Seen, a Number Lovely as a Mean -- Evaluation: Sampling I
Sweep Net Your Troubles Away -- Evaluation: Sampling II
Of Pests and Profits -- Evaluation: Thresholds and EILs
The Dose Makes the Poison -- Tactics: Pesticide Fundamentals
He's Dead, Jim -- Tactics: Pesticide Types and Modes of Action
Spray it Again, Sam -- Tactics: Pesticide Use and Misuse
Lightning Strikes and Chemical Bites -- Risk and Ecological Backlash
Brown Bugging It -- Tactics: Biological Control
The Plow, the Planter, the Nuclear Reactor -- Tactics: Cultural Methods and Novel Approaches
Can't Touch This -- Tactics: Plant Resistance
A Plague of Locusts -- Pests: Agronomic Insects I
Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me -- Pests: Agronomic Insects II
Of Mites and Men -- Pests: Medical and Veterinary Insects
Nightmare on Elm St. -- Pests: Urban and Horticultural Insects

Don't Shoot Until You See the Facets of Their Eyes -- Pest Management Programs

Have questions? Need more information? Call Betty toll-free at 1-800-755-7765.

Who's it for?

Farmers, pesticide applicators, crop consultants, co-ops, county extension educators, vocational agricultural instructors, science teachers, college students, all could find The good, the bad and the bugly helpful. The good, the bad and the bugly focuses on practical information for people with interests in agriculture and pest management who want to learn at home. You can enroll for three hours of college credit, or you can take it noncredit (Certified Crop Adviser [CCA] continuing education credits pending) for knowledge gained and personal or professional development.

What you'll learn:

When you finish these eight weeks, you'll be able to:

recognize major insect groups and understand the basics of insect biology;
understand the principles of insect pest management;
recognize the tactics involved in modern insect management, including advantages and limitations to specific methods; and
recognize and use modern management programs, including sampling, thresholds, and multiple tactics.

Here's how it works:

Each week for eight weeks, starting Jan. 13, 1997, classes will be available LIVE on the Internet, or you can log on at your convenience to watch them. Each class session will be available for 7 days. Or, if you prefer, we'll record on VHS videotape and send you two to three 50- minute entomology and pest management lessons each week, starting the week of Jan. 20. If you choose videotapes you can stop them, rewind them, fast forward them and review them as many times as you want. You get to keep the tapes. They're yours. Each is indexed with the major topics discussed on the tape.
You'll be able to discuss with other participants by e-mail. (You do need access to the Internet).
References and other course materials will be available through a World Wide Web site on the Internet.

Here's what you do:

Subscribe. Return the registration form in this brochure. If you want University of Nebraska Credit call 1-800-755-7765 for a registration packet.
Watch the Internet programs or the VHS videotape you receive every week. Check the web site for other class materials.
Take the tests and quizzes to test your knowledge. Answers will be e-mailed or sent with the next tape. Grade yourself unless you are taking the course for credit. If something isn't clear, watch the tape again. COSTS: -- $300 plus $25 materials fee. If you have access to the Internet, you will be able to download the handouts and do not need to pay a materials fee. CREDIT: -- 3 undergraduate UNL credits $225 plus $100 distance learning fee and a $25 materials fee if you do not have access to the Internet. (Total $350)

If you're interested in taking the course via internet, the software needed to access the class -- REALaudio player -- is available free and can be downloaded from a UNL web page. The following hardware recommendations also should be considered prior to the start of class. You will need:

PC Recommendations
486-33 mhz CPU, 8 MB RAM (16 MB RAM recommended)
256-color VGA card and monitor (not essential for monitoring the audio)
Audio card, such as Sound Blaster 16, speakers or headphones
Windows 3.1, 3.11, or 95
28.8 bps modem
MacIntosh Recommendations:
68040 (Quadra) CPU, 8 MB RAM (16 MB RAM recommended)
256-color display
System 7.1 or higher.
28.8 bps modem

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