Insects We’re Thankful For this Thanksgiving Season
As experts in pest control, most of the posts here on our pest blog are about the invasive and harmful pests we aren’t so fond of as well as our suggestions for eliminating them from your home or property. However, our love for entomology (the study of insects) also teaches us about the beauty of insects that play positive, productive roles in our world.
Today, let’s discuss a few insects we’re thankful for this Thanksgiving! Read on to learn a little bit more about the bugs worth appreciating.
Insects We’re Thankful for
Pollinators
Pollinating insects like bees, butterflies, and some species of mosquitoes are at the top of our list of insects we’re thankful for, always! Pollinators are the reason we enjoy flowers and get to eat the seeds, fruits, and vegetables that flowering plants produce: These pollinators carry out the cycle of fertilizing those plants.
Many of the wonderful dishes we enjoy at Thanksgiving, including cranberry sauce, wouldn’t be possible without pollinators. We are big fans of these little guys!
Decomposers
The next type of insects we’re thankful for are decomposers, like cockroaches, dung beetles, carrion beetles, and termites (when in nature, not near homes).
These decomposing insects take care of dead and decaying organic matter, consuming them and often breaking them down into nutrient-rich soil. Imagine how stinky the world would be if these guys were not around to take care of dead, rotting plants and animals! That’s a job we can certainly appreciate.
Environment Indicators
Finally, let’s take time to appreciate a group of insects we’re thankful for, known as indicator species. The behavior, appearance, and population numbers of these types of insects are some factors that serve as bioindicators, meaning they warn us of changes in the health of our ecosystems.
Some examples of environmental indicators in the insect world are dragonflies and stoneflies. These insects are extremely sensitive to changes in their local environment, especially the quality of water. Stoneflies and dragonflies are intolerant to polluted water and need well-oxygenated water to survive.
When the population of stoneflies and dragonflies is lower than usual after producing noticeably fewer offspring than in years prior, they send a signal to environmental preservationists that the area’s water is more polluted and has less oxygen than it should.
Our Team Is Thankful for You!
We hope you learned something interesting today about the insects we’re thankful for! However, if you’re dealing with insects and pests you’re less than thankful for this holiday season, we’re here to help you uninvite them from the premises.
Our team at Vulcan Termite and Pest Control has proudly served families in Alabama since 1965, and we would love to help you, too! Call us at 205-663-4200 or contact us online today to learn more about our affordable, highly effective pest control solutions.