Definitely Not the Opera

We're buzzing with bug tales

Now that spring has returned, bugs are crawling back into our lives. They can be deadly, but also useful... and tasty! We're covering creepy crawlies from all angles on our BUGS episode.
(Courtesy of Justin Schmidt)

This week, DNTO explores the creepy crawly world of bugs. Some freak us out. Some fascinate us. Others are even tasty! One thing's for sure: We all react in different ways when we get up close and personal with insects.

Vancouver restaurateur Nash Mawani grew up in Uganda, where he loved to catch grasshoppers - and eat them! He's kicking off the show by telling us why he adores the taste.

(Liz Hood meets Team DNTO at the Toronto Botanical Gardens)
When naturalist and outdoor educator Liz Hood was asked by a new boss at the Toronto Botanical Garden what she'd like to do in her job, she immediately said beekeeping. Now, five years into her urban beekeeping experience, Liz opens up a beehive for DNTO so we can take a look inside.

Dr. Gail Anderson is a detective of sorts -- and her trusty partners are bugs. Gail is a forensic entomologist from Simon Fraser University and she uses the information she derives from insects to help solve crimes.

The roach lab where Rachel Nuwer faced her fears.
Rachel Nuwer hates cockroaches. And, not like most people do. One look at them, and she's nervous and edgy for days. She can't be in a room where she's spied a roach. She begins to swat at invisible bugs on her ankles. Finally, she took that disgust and fear and turned it around to overcome her phobia. You won't believe how she did it.
(Winnipeg's Kemlin Nembhard remembers her encounter with albino cockroaches)
In Tanzania, Kemlin Nembhard tussled with flying cockroaches almost every day, but they never phased her. What freaked out Kemlin was the type of insect she discovered in her bathtub drain. We bet you've never even heard of it.

When he was a co-op student at the University of Waterloo, Neil Murray rented a house one summer with five messy guys. When his roommates moved out, Neil was left with some unwelcome company...

Find out how a plague-like outbreak of cannibalistic katydids turns from infestation to inspiration for Elaine Parks, an artist living in the tiny town of Tuscarora, Nevada. 

(Aganetha Dyck makes art with help from bees )
For over two decades Winnipeg-based artist Aganetha Dyck has made extraordinary sculptures. She takes found objects like discarded hockey pads, Barbie dolls, shoes and porcelain figurines, then re-imagines them with the help of her unlikely collaborators -- honey bees! 

BC's Patrick Lane, one of Canada's most best-known poets, was asked to deliver a graduation address to the University of British Columbia's Kelowna campus. He knew right away what he wanted to share: The story of the butterfly that changed his life.

Have you ever been stung by a bee? We bet you've never been pricked where Doug Broadfoot was! He'll tell all about a memorable motorcycle ride.

(Waterford, Ontario's Gale Lemery with her husband, Neil.)
One summer night, Gale Lemery was sitting in her backyard in Waterford, Ontario when she felt a sting. Two weeks later, her husband found her in a coma. Gale describes what it's like to survive a West Nile-like virus.

Plus, we're re-airing one of our favourite DNTO stories ever: The tale of two quirky brothers, Jose and James Lourenco, and how they bond through hand-to-leg combat with a spider.

This week's playlist:

Scott Helman - Bungalow

Romi Mayes - Bee Sting

Loon Choir - Bug

Buffy Sainte-Marie - It's My Way

Metric - The Shade (I Want It All)

Timber Timbre - Creep on Creepin' On

Buddy Holly and the Crickets - That'll Be The Day

Two-Minute Miracles - Bee Hell

Ivory Hours - I Won't

Allison Krauss and Gillian Welch - I'll Fly Away