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For entomologist Aaron Ashbrook, the insect-rich environment of Louisiana is a fascinating place to work.
“We have more insects in this climate,” he said. “Subtropical areas, like we are in, that warmer temperature and humidity allows for insects to be alive longer, allows them to reproduce more and have more generations per year.”
It’s also a challenge. Staying on top of the state’s insects means continually investigating and conducting research.
“It’s good for us in pest management,” he said. “There’s always something to do.”
As an extension entomologist, researcher and teacher, Ashbrook regularly helps Louisiana residents and pest control operators learn the best ways to treat the insects that have become a nuisance. He leads training sessions and answers inquiries from AgCenter agents.
“His expertise in entomology is exceptional, particularly in his ability to quickly identify insects and provide effective responses,” said Ed Brooks, an account manager for a pest control service based in Baton Rouge. “His extensive knowledge of industry-specific products and treatment procedures has been crucial in addressing challenging pest infestations.”
Growing up in Coloma, Michigan, near the banks of Lake Michigan, Ashbrook loved animals. He likes to fish, he earned his Boy Scouts insect collection merit badge and he admits to being enamored with dinosaurs as a kid. His favorite was the triceratops or the ankylosaurus (their armoring and spikes were awesome, he said).
In college at Grand Valley State University in western Michigan, Ashbrook started out pre-med and then switched to biology. His heart was in insects.
“I wanted to have a job that wasn’t necessarily work,” he said.
Because Grand Valley lacked an entomology major, Ashbrook took all the courses he could that helped him gain knowledge in the field and worked in research labs for experience. One summer he collected butterflies in a restored prairie, and in another project, he pinned insects to prepare them for measurement.
Ashbrook didn’t dream of becoming a professor when he went to Purdue University in Indiana to start his master’s degree.
“I was just interested in it, and I enjoyed it,” he said.
At Purdue, Ashbrook delved into urban entomology, learning ways to improve pest management by “exploiting insect behavior,” he said. He studied bed bugs and German cockroaches, two of the most feared insects that may invade homes.
Ashbrook considered working in the pest control industry, but he chose to keep researching and earned a doctorate at Purdue. He continued studying cockroaches and bed bugs in a postdoctoral research role at North Carolina State University.
In 2022, Ashbrook joined LSU and the AgCenter as an assistant professor of urban and peri-urban entomology.
Over the past two and a half years, Ashbrook has worked with entomologists from the University of Tennessee and University of Georgia who led a working group researching delusory infestations — a neuropsychological condition that occurs when people become convinced that insects are infesting them when no insects are present.
“It’s a challenge,” he said. “You must be careful. They are people that are suffering from a real condition.”
Ashbrook helped develop a protocol for extension agents and pest control operators for handling these delicate situations. He teaches them to trap insects or help guide the affected person to collect potential specimens. The agent or operator also gives a list of possible irritants that could cause the condition. If no solution is found, the person is encouraged to contact a doctor.
“What usually happens is these individuals, they just get moved around from entomologist to pest control operator to doctor because the doctor thinks they have a real pest issue,” Ashbrook said.
Spreading the word about this affliction offers an opportunity to truly help, he said.
“One of the cool things about being in extension is the people,” Ashbrook said. “I get to help people with their problems.”
Kyle Peveto is the editor of Louisiana Agriculture and a writer in AgCenter Communications.
This article appears in the fall 2024 edition of Louisiana Agriculture magazine.
The LSU AgCenter Can Help With Pests at Home
Insects or other arthropod pests can become a nuisance in and around your home. Aaron Ashbrook, assistant professor of urban and peri-urban entomology, can help identify problem pests and give advice on how best to treat them.
Ashbrook and the Entomology Department staff can identify pests through pictures or dead specimens and recommend the correct treatment. In difficult-to-solve cases, a diagnostician will inspect the affected property to properly understand the pest.
To learn more, visit the Entomology Department website at
As an extension entomologist, researcher and teacher, Aaron Ashbrook helps Louisiana residents and pest control operators learn the best ways to treat the insects that have become a nuisance. Photo by Kyle Peveto
Aaron Ashbrook holds a cockroach in his hand. Photo by Kyle Peveto
