NY Post: Men more likely than women to be scared of bugs
UC biologist Joshua Benoit talks about a surprising poll that found Americans don't know very much about common insects
The New York Post turned to University of Cincinnati biologist Joshua Benoit to explain why a new poll shows Americans simply don't know much about common bugs.
Procter & Gamble Co's. pest-control product Zevo surveyed 2,000 Americans about insects. Just one in three respondents could correctly identify a picture of a wasp. Many confused it with a honeybee.
Joshua Benoit in his lab. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II/UC Creative Services
Just half of men (53%) and even fewer women (43%) correctly identified a tick. And those same percentages correctly identified "entomology" as the study of insects.
The survey found that far more men than women reported being "very scared" of bugs (32% of men compared to just 22% of women).
Despite the mediocre scores, more than half of respondents considered themselves "very knowledgeable" about insects. (Dunning-Kruger effect, perhaps?)
Benoit, an assistant professor of biological sciences in UC's McMicken College of Arts and Sciences, studies ticks, mosquitoes, cockroaches and other insects and arthropods in his lab. He has conducted research in places as remote as Antarctica, home to a bizarre wingless fly.
Benoit helped conduct biological tests for Zevo products in his lab.
"Some insect pests can be highly prolific under favorable conditions," Benoit told the Post.
The good news, Benoit said, is most insects don't want to cohabitate with people.
"Few people realize that the indoor biome is a specific habitat that only certain insects can tolerate," he said.
Featured image at top: A vial of mosquitoes in UC professor Joshua Benoit's lab. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Creative Services
UC assistant professor Joshua Benoit has studied insects as far away as Antarctica. Photo/Provided
Related Stories
How AI might help nonprofits
November 7, 2025
University of Cincinnati Professor Victoria LaPoe examined whether people respond differently to AI-created messaging in nonprofit advertising.
Shining like a disco ball: Rachel Hoermann’s story of finding passion and purpose at UC
November 6, 2025
Rachel Hoermann has dreamed of becoming a writer since childhood. But like many who grew up in Ohio’s rust belt, the idea of going to college felt out of reach. For years, she cycled through work that never quite satisfied her creative drive. That changed when she came across a box that once belonged to her father—a discovery that would alter the course of her life.
New hires reflect UC’s commitment to research, innovation and impact
November 6, 2025
With the 2025-26 school year in full swing, the College of Arts and Sciences has welcomed five faculty members to lead departments that span from chemistry to journalism. Dean James Mack said these new hires “reflect our unwavering commitment to ‘Discovery in Action,’ as we continue to enhance our academic and research excellence”. With these additions, the future of UC is in good hands, and students can look forward to new opportunities for learning, research, and innovation.