It is no surprise to hear that a majority of people are not big fans of insects and other pests. When a bug is spotted inside a home, the most common reaction is, “Eww! Kill it, kill it!” We understand no one wants to live in a bug infested home…no one is judging you for that.
What we do want people to realize, is there are some insects that are beneficial to our environment. Without some insects, our lives would be immensely different. Insects pollinate many of the fruits, vegetables, and flowers we enjoy. Without their pollination, many of the produce we love would not be able to grow. Without insects, we would also be without honey, beeswax, silk, and other products that insects provide us with.
The balance of nature depends on certain insects that are predatory or parasitic on either plants or other insects, or animals. These insects ensure that the pest (insect or weeds) population stays at a tolerable level. Without these types of insects, nature would be unbalanced.
The following is a list of several insects who play a pivotal part in our environment:
Antilion: Control the ant populations and help pollinate flowers while posing no threat to humans
Black and Yellow Garden Spider: Help to control populations in the garden
Blue Dasher Dragonfly: Feasts on smaller insects daily
Blue Winged Wasp: Natural predator of the Japanese Beetle
Burring Beetle: Consumes natural material such as small dead mammals, maggots, and rotting fruit
Eastern Carpenter Bee: Pollinates. Pollinating bees affect as much as 80% of the world’s food supply
House Centipede: Helps keep other pests in the home in check – such as cockroaches and moths
Should you live in a home infested with insects, absolutely not – you should call an exterminator – but next time you are outside, think twice before killing an innocent insect just because you don’t want it to come near you. An insects natural home is outdoors, let them live their lives so we can continue living ours with the balance of nature.
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