Arthro-Pod

In this episode, the Arthro-Pod crew sits down with Dr. Drew, a small animal veterinarian based in Frankfort, Kentucky, to dive into the wild world of veterinary entomology. We explore what it's like to play medical detective, how technology is changing animal care, and the real-world challenges practitioners face today. Then, we get into the gritty details of pet parasites—tackling everything from fleas, ticks, and tapeworms to ear mites, delusory parasitosis, and the New World screwworm. Packed with fun tangents and crucial advice on prevention and treatment, this episode is a deep dive into keeping our pets safe.

 

Show notes:

Animal Medical Center, Frankfort, KY

Website | Facebook | Instagram @amcmyvet4pets

Veterinary Articles: 

Fleas: Update on fleas, flea-borne disease, and flea control 

Tick Control: Veterinary Manual (Merck) Tick Control

Ear Mites: Ear Mites in Dogs and Cats

Sarcoptic Mange: Mite Infestation in Dogs

Lice: Overview of Lice in Animals

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Intro and Outro song: "There it is" by Kevin McLeod, Incomptech Music

Welcome back bug lovers! This is the second episode in a two part series about the history of imported fire ants in the United States and the ways we responded to their presence in the south. Colloquially these could be referred to as the "FIRE ANT WARS"! In this episode, we go deeper into the middle of the 20th century, a time where the wars are cold and the atoms are tamed. The ants however are running riot and some people really want to do something about it. Tune in to find out what they tried!

 

Show Notes: 

https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/F/bo3639751.html 

https://extension.msstate.edu/introduction-fire-ants 

https://fireant.tamu.edu/learn/history-of-the-red-imported-fire-ant/ 

The Fire Ant on Trial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5xK3xSk3eI 

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Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!

Older episodes can be accessed through Archive.org.

If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!

Intro and Outro song: "There it is" by Kevin McLeod, Incomptech Music

This week we talk with Dr. George Gale about grape phylloxera - how it was introduced into France in the late 1800s, how it devastated French viticulture and wine production, and how ultimately we overcame this pest through hybridization and use of American rootstocks. We also touch upon the history of grape phylloxera in the rest of the world, with a focus on California.

__________

Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!

Older episodes can be accessed through Archive.org.

If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!

Intro and Outro song: "There it is" by Kevin McLeod, Incomptech Music

In this episode, Ross Stewart from the Center for Biodiversity and Genomics discusses the innovative BugQuest project, which uses Malaise traps and DNA barcoding to study insect diversity across Canada. Discover how citizen science, advanced sequencing, and creative outreach are transforming entomology research. 

BugQuest: https://bioscan.life/bugquest/

University of Guelph News (April 2026): https://news.uoguelph.ca/2026/04/got-bugs-u-of-g-collecting-samples-to-catalogue-canadas-biodiversity/

Center for Biodiversity Genomics: https://biodiversitygenomics.net/         

Keywords: entomology, DNA barcoding, Malaise traps, citizen science, insect diversity, BugQuest, genomics, biodiversity, scientific outreach

__________

Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!

Older episodes can be accessed through Archive.org.

If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!

Intro and Outro song: "There it is" by Kevin McLeod, Incomptech Music

Welcome back bug lovers! This is the first of a two part series about the history of fire ants in the United States and the ways we responded to their presence in the south. Colloquially these could be referred to as the "FIRE ANT WARS"! You can imagine your own pulse pounding beat to idea... In this episode, we unpack how fire ants arrived in the US, the sequence of events that led to red imported fire ant becoming so common, and the first forays into understanding this pest. 

 

Show Notes: 

https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/F/bo3639751.html 

https://extension.msstate.edu/introduction-fire-ants 

https://fireant.tamu.edu/learn/history-of-the-red-imported-fire-ant/ 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Get the show through Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcatching app!

Older episodes can be accessed through Archive.org.

If you can spare a moment, we appreciate when you subscribe to the show on those apps or when you take time to leave a review!

Intro and Outro song: "There it is" by Kevin McLeod, Incomptech Music