Watch Bug City

Found in virtually every climate and habitat, spiders are arachnids (not insects), and this program examines all facets of spider life -- webs and the spider's use of silk, eating habits, growth and molting, mating habits and care of the young. Scorpions, resembling miniature lobsters, are relatives of the spider, and they each possess a poisonous stinger. The program reviews the lifestyle of scorpions and later presents tips on creating a spider habitat for common house or garden spiders. Part of the Bug City Video Series, an engaging series created to help kids learn about insects and arachnids. Grades 1-6.

Two of the most popular members of the insect world are ladybugs and fireflies. The colorful ladybug provides pest control by eating insects that would feed on flowers, vegetables and fruits. Another favorite, the firefly, is a type of beetle that can produce its own light source in an effort to attract a mate. In the studio, Dr. Art discusses these complex, blinking insects and, in an experiment, tries to replicate the bursts of light that fireflies produce. Part of the Bug City Video Series, an engaging series created to help kids learn about insects and arachnids. Grades 1-6.

Almost everyone has seen them buzzing around the house or crawling around outside. Insects such as cockroaches, fleas, termites, snails, slugs and earthworms are part of everyday life. This program describes many of these creatures' habits and how they affect humans. Ways to cockroach-proof your house are discussed, and Dr. Art presents a technique used to find small insects living down in the soil and leaf litter right in your own backyard. Part of the Bug City Video Series, an engaging series created to help kids learn about insects and arachnids. Grades 1-6.

Masters of flying, flies have only two wings (compared to four on many other insects), but still manage to move incredibly fast. Mosquitoes are a slender, delicate type of fly best known for their habit of biting. From mosquitoes to houseflies to fruit flies, this program explains the complete four-stage metamorphosis, the predators of flies and the "benefits" of maggots. Part of the Bug City Video Series, an engaging series created to help kids learn about insects and arachnids. Grades 1-6.

This program reveals the incredible jumping, chirping and camouflaging skills of crickets, grasshoppers and katydids, as well as other related insects like the praying mantis and the walking stick. Dr. Art shows students how to make a cricket habitat and provides instruction on where to find crickets, what to feed them and what to expect from a pet cricket. Part of the Bug City Video Series, an engaging series created to help kids learn about insects and arachnids. Grades 1-6.

Butterflies and moths are beautiful and delicate, yet some, like monarch butterflies, are strong enough to fly hundreds of miles in their yearly migration. This program explores interesting facts about both types of insects, explains their amazing metamorphosis and shows how to tell them apart. In the studio, Dr. Art and Christina examine monarch caterpillars and build a caterpillar habitat in order to watch them transform into butterflies. Part of the Bug City Video Series, an engaging series created to help kids learn about insects and arachnids. Grades 1-6.

There are over 350,000 types of beetles identified by scientists. Revered by the ancient Egyptians as well as other cultures, beetles have a unique role on the planet as the recycling agents for decaying matter. In this program, Dr. Art demonstrates how to make a beetle habitat by setting up a colony of meal worms (the larval form of darkling beetles), allowing students to watch them grow and observe the life cycle. Part of the Bug City Video Series, an engaging series created to help kids learn about insects and arachnids. Grades 1-6.

From the queen bee to the worker bee, this program shows exactly why bees are so busy and why we should appreciate them. As they gather food, bees pollinate plants and allow them to grow for another season. Some types of bees create extraordinary nests of honeycomb in which they lay eggs and store honey. A riveting display by Dr. Norman Gary shows bees in their egg, larval and pupal stages, and even shows a newborn hatching! Later, Dr. Art Evans explains how to make a bee's nest with plastic straws. Part of the Bug City Video Series, an engaging series created to help kids learn about insects and arachnids. Grades 1-6.

Dragonflies and damselflies, water striders and backswimmers -- these are just a few of the amazing aquatic insects presented in this program that shows how thousands of species of insects have adapted to life in the world of water. Dr. Art provides tips on collecting and keeping aquatic insects, and then demonstrates how to make an aqua-scope through which students can observe these fascinating water dwellers. Part of the Bug City Video Series, an engaging series created to help kids learn about insects and arachnids. Grades 1-6.

Learn more about ants! In this program, Dr. Art demonstrates how to make a formicarium -- an artificial ant nest that allows students to observe how ants live, work and behave daily. Grades 1-6.