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Them and Us

Episode 1 of 3

Steve Backshall explores the connections and relationship that we have with insects and other arthropods, from driver ants in Kenya to silkworm caterpillars in China.

Steve Backshall explores the connections and relationship that we have with insects and other arthropods. In Kenya, huge armies of driver ants give houses a five-star clean-up, and in China, we discover how silkworm caterpillars have shaped our culture and distribution. While locusts devastate crops in Africa, bees and beetles across the world provide a key link in our food chains. Many of us perceive these animals merely as creepy crawlies and nothing more than a nuisance, but as Steve reveals, we couldn't live without them.

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28 minutes

Audio described

Last on

Mon 8 Jun 2026 16:00

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Music Played

  • Lucy Rose

    Red Face

  • Ava Leigh

    Rush

  • Lucy Rose

    Middle of the Bed

  • Fixers

    Another Lost Apache

  • Rob Dougan

    Clubbed To Death

  • Basement Jaxx

    Day of the Sunflowers

  • Example

    Microphone

  • Lucy Rose

    Middle Of The Bed

  • Basement Jaxx

    Day of the Sunflowers

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Steve Backshall
Series Producer Doug Mackay-Hope
Producer Rosie Gloyns
Producer Anuschka Schofield

Broadcasts

  • Wed 13 Mar 2013 20:35
  • Tue 10 May 2016 19:30
  • Mon 15 May 2017 19:30
  • Sat 7 Apr 2018 19:00
  • Fri 20 Nov 2020 15:45
  • Mon 23 Aug 2021 00:40
  • Wed 10 Aug 2022 23:30
  • Fri 14 Oct 2022 13:45
  • Tue 15 Jul 2025 16:45
  • Sat 25 Apr 2026 13:00
  • Mon 8 Jun 2026 16:00

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