Topeka woman turns insects into cash with unique business

TOPEKA (KSNT) – A Topeka woman is showing how people can find value in even the smallest bugs.

Katie VanBlaricum has made a career out of locating and preparing bugs for human use over the last 19 years. She obtains tropical insects taken from places outside the nation with valid U.S. Fish and Wildlife (FWS)

permits to later sell them off for people to use in their own projects.

“I want to help people see that we don’t need to smash every insect we come across, and that hey an insect can be orange, or blue or purple, and they’re beautiful and wonderful,” VanBlaricum said. “By framing them up nicely and getting people hands on, I think that helps people appreciate nature.”

VanBlaricum also creates jewelry out of beetles and makes her own nail polish that’s inspired by the colors of insects. You can learn more about her work by following her on Instagram or by checking out her products on Etsy.

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