The Strange World of Insects
Did you know? The common household pests in your home are annoying and sometimes dangerous, but they have some interesting features and purposes. It is thanks to entomologists and their passionate research that so many of these pests are o longer threats to our homes and to our health. We can use the information we have about their lifestyles, their breeding habits and their feeding habits to overcome them. Pest controllers like Edward Ellis from Eco Pest Control Brisbane consider pests to be the enemy. But that doesn’t mean they want to harm them all. “We can eliminate pests by using integrated pest management which includes looking at alternatives to pesticides” Mr Ellis said. Pests are attracted to food sources, so if we remove the food, we remove the pest, Ellis added. Here we delve into the weird and wonderful word of household pests.
Cockroaches are some of the strangest insects
- Cockroaches can survive a few days with their heads – and that’s not the only remarkable fact about cockroaches.
- Female cockroaches never stop laying eggs and reproducing. That’s why cockroaches can breed so rapidly. They only need to have a single encounter with a male to render the fertile for the remainder of their lives.
- Cockroaches are related to praying mantises even though they don’t look alike or behave similarly.
Some of the smallest insects are some of the most fascinating
- Fleas can incubate for months, remaining in their pupal and “dormant”. This means even houses that are not occupied can experience a sudden flea infestation. The adult fleas will emerge from the pupal when they sense carbon dioxide – this is what alerts them to the presence of food.
- Ants can carry 50 times their own body weight. They can carry a far greater weight together thanks to their excellent team efforts. A number of ants will group around items and either break down pieces which they carry away or carry the entire items away if it is possible.
- Ants can also form a symbiotic relationship with other creatures, like aphids. Aphids are a common garden pest. They excrete a sugary substance which the ants love. Ants will keep and tend the aphids, like cows, while harvesting their excretions.
- Termites are generally blind. However, they are extremely adept at communicating. When they detect a threat, they tap their feet to warn the others. This keeps the others safe.
Household pests
- Spiders have the ability to walk on their own webs without ever getting stuck. This is because each spider releases its own oily secretion, preventing the legs from sticking to the web. Spiders also have tiny finger-like structures at the end of their feet to help them navigate across webs.
- Bats can navigate through the dark without actually seeing. They never bump into anything because of those high-pitched squeals and use a technique called echolocation, just like dolphins and other marine mammals. They create sounds that bounce off of the objects around them, alerting them to what is front and to the side of them without needing to see.
Prehistoric pests
- Silverfish are almost like the ghosts of pests. They’re incredibly elusive, only becoming apparent when you encounter chewed books and paper or linens. Silverfish are prehistoric. Scientists estimate their time on earth stretches as far back as 400 million years. Dinosaurs existed 300 million years ago, so silverfish are older than dinosaurs. That said, each individual silverfish will only live for around 6 years. That’s long when you consider how extensively they can damage books and other precious items in the house. Some silverfish will even live for as long as 8 years.
- Silverfish are also immune to most forms of pest controls and chemicals. They can also survive for as long as a year without any food, making it difficult to poison them or starve them.
- Centipedes get their name for the many legs they have – which directly translates to 100 legs. However, it’s not entirely accurate. Centipedes can have anything from 15 to 200 pairs of legs. You can identify a female by the slightly shorter pair of back legs.
- Centipedes are also mistakenly considered as dangerous insects. While there are venomous varieties, for the most part, they’re harmless. The venomous centipedes can only deliver a bite that is about as painful as a bee sting. There is no risk of loss of life or serious health effects (provided there’s allergies involved). Centipedes are also generally nocturnal, if you find them out and about during the day, they’re usually looking for cover or seeking moisture.
Some of the most common household pests have the most interesting backstories, habits, and facts. While it can help to understand them, there’s no need to live with them. You can have them removed anytime. Professional pest removal services and pest management measures can minimise the number of insects, bats, rats, and spiders you encounter in your household.
If you have questions please comment below. Thanks for reading!