Boy photographing a beetle in a man's hand against a backdrop of green leaves and forest floor. Both hold cameras, focused on capturing the small insect in nature.

Hello Fellow Students!

Welcome to the free Lil Dude’s Learning Site, specially made for you guys, the Students! Here you can find all kinds of cool stuff, completely free of charge!

Here you will find some cool buggy facts throughout as well as some of Bradon’s favorite things to do with his bugs. You can also find some Blog posts from Bradon that you might Enjoy, and lastly, Bradon has provided some awesome resources for you guys to learn more about Insects and Science in General!

Hello, this is Bradon! Ever since I was about 3 years old, I have been fascinated with bugs. I have always loved learning more about them, teaching about them, catching them, holding them, looking at them under a microscope, and much more!

Meet Bradon's Bugs!

A small spider with a light brown body and dark abdomen on soil inside a white container. The image is dimly lit, highlighting the spider's delicate legs.
A brown praying mantis sits near the edge of a clear plastic cup on a wooden surface. The focus is on the insect's intricate patterns and long antennae.
Green circle with text stating that 35% of the food we eat requires pollinators like bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, bats, ants, and more to help produce it.

In late 2016 I had this awesome Indian Flower Mantis (Creobroter pictipennis). It was super small so I feed it fruit flies until it got larger and I could feed it Cockroaches.

Red circle with text:

In 2019 I had a few Leaf insects and they eventually grew up to adults and laid eggs!

Gloved hand inspecting a beehive frame covered in bees. Text overlay reads,

2020 was been my first season as a Beekeeper! I have learned so much already about these little guys and I really love it! I am definitely looking forward to next season already. To learn more about my Bees and come along on the journey, I have made a YouTube Channel dedicated to documenting my experiences with my Bees here:

Keep the Bug Adventure Going!

So far that’s all the cool live Bugs I have had thus far! I hope you enjoyed coming along with me on my journey that has been my Bugs.

Here are some of Bradon’s recommendations for fun buggy things to do at home, all year-round.

There are some really awesome YouTube Channels out there for everyone to enjoy.

1. Mark Rober

  • Mark was a NASA scientist and now has a YouTube Channel where he conducts crazy experiments of all kinds. He built a giant trampoline, made a Squirrel obstacle course, and a glitter bomb for mail thieves.

 

2. Smarter Every Day

  • Destin is just a normal guy, learning new cool things all the time! On his Channel, he demonstrates cool, everyday things and breaks the science down so his audience can better understand how the world works. It is so awesome and I guarantee you will learn something in the very first video you even watch.

 

These are two YouTube Channels that I can confidently recommend to anyone. They are all funny, enjoyable to watch, educational, and family-friendly!

 

Bugs & Nature Shows

Another thing you can watch at home and learn a bunch about nature and Bugs are Nature Shows! Some of my favorites are Planet Earth 1 and 2, LIFE, Our Planet, The Riot and the Dance. Most of these are on Netflix.

A vibrant green grasshopper with detailed patterns on its body and wings perches on a thin branch against a blurred green background, highlighting its textured features.

Make Your Own Bug Discoveries!

Here are some AMAZING resources for fun bug crafts and activities to do at home: 

Homesciencetools.com

  • I have been using Home Science Tools for years for all the supplies for my various bug events. They have awesome crafts, experiments, dissections, puzzles, and they even sell microscopes!

Thebutterflycompany.com

  • I have been purchasing from The Butterfly Company for almost 5 years now. Their large variety of dried specimens from all over the globe make them a really great option for all your bug desires. I have purchased all of my specimens from them for all my events. They also have unmatched support. I really can’t recommend them enough.

Lil Dude’s Insect Academy YouTube Channel & Podcast

Another awesome resource for you Students to enjoy is the Lil Dude’s Insect Academy YouTube Channel and Podcast. I have been Podcasting since 2019 and I chat with real-life Entomologists and discuss the current news in the Bug world!

On my YouTube, I documented all the adventures with my Bees, I will post bug lessons, and some more of my awesome bug outings! Hope you guys go and check all those out and enjoy!

A person in a navy vest holds a framed insect collection, featuring butterflies and beetles, seated outdoors on fallen leaves with two books nearby.

Explore Outside

And finally, JUST GO OUTSIDE and look for bugs. There is nothing better you can do about your passion for bugs than go out there and hunt for them! It is so rewarding to find a bug you’ve never seen before and then go inside and research it!

I hope you enjoyed learning a little about some of the things you can do to scratch your bug itch. Just go outside, learn about the world around you, and tell your friends all about it!