Category Ask the Psychologist

In many parts of world, insects are just another food group. And why not? Bugs are rich in protein and vitamins. They require fewer resources to raise than cows, pigs, and chickens. Unlike bottom-feeding shrimp, which we pop in our mouths without a second thought, many bugs live on a wholesome diet of grass, leaves, and flowers. Bugs also devour farmers’ crops, so eating pest insects helps protect our veggies.

Many insect species have less than 5 grams of fat per serving. Insect farming can be a more sustainable practice because insects don’t need much space, can live under all sorts of conditions and easy to feed. People describe the taste of insects as nutty with a similar flavor to shrimp and chicken. Grasshoppers, ant eggs, and wasps are considered a delicacy in several countries.

Picture Credit : Google

Because they’re arthropods – the same animal group that includes insects and arachnids. If it has at least six legs, a segmented body, and wears its skeleton like a suit of armor, it’s an arthropod!

Hermit crabs are perhaps the most entertaining creatures in a tide pool. They scuttle quickly about on the bottom of pools and tidal flats scavenging for food. When danger approaches, they withdraw into their shells, blocking the entrance with their thick claws. Hermit crabs are also harmless–if you pick one up and hold still for a bit, they will move out of their shell to explore your hand.

These crabs, who look like tiny lobsters, inhabit discarded snail shells. Their soft, twisted abdomen has been converted into a hook that reaches into an empty snail shell. It then carries the protective shell on its back.

Picture Credit : Google

They wear their skeletons on the outside of their bodies, and they can change these shells just like we change our clothes. When a bug outgrows its bony skin, it sheds it – a process called molting – and grows a new one. The old armor is left behind, although giant centipedes will actually eat their discarded skeletons.

The hard outer shell protects the insect in other ways as well. It helps keep out germs and harmful chemicals. The shell acts as a shock absorber and as a shield against too much heat or cold. It also protects the insect from some of its enemies.

Picture Credit : Google

Because the world would be a lifeless brown ball of dust without them. Many of these creepy creepers feast on feces (poop) and dead plant an animal matter while adding nutrients to the soil for plant life, which is also pollinated by bees and other buzzing insects. Plants in turn are food for other animals and produce oxygen from carbon dioxide. Insects keep the whole process running smoothly, keeping Earth clean and green.

Insects are the only food that sustains certain species of birds, fish and amphibians. Without insect life, the food chain would be severely compromised, since many higher order animals and birds rely upon lower ones for food. If the insects were to be destroyed, many species would also be wiped out.

When insects appear in your home, remember that the local ecosystem needs them not just to survive, but to thrive. Instead of an all-kill program, make yours an all-clear program. Focus on pest management instead of eradication.

Picture Credit : Google

Because they have us outnumbered! More than 80 percent of all species on Earth belong to this wildly diverse group of creatures, and biologists are discovering new bugs all the time. Each square foot of your backyard is crawling with them: grubs, ants, spiders, beetles, centipedes, and grasshoppers. Your bedroom floor is a habitat for dust mites. You have microscopic bugs clinging to your body right now. Feeling itchy yet? Oh, and think about this next time you squash a bug: They’re crucial to our survival.

Picture Credit : Google

Pest control is a billion-dollar business for a reason: Insects and arachnids are the all-stars of nastiness. They reproduce like crazy (a single female aphid, for example, can produce 600 billion offspring in one season)! They have horrible eating habits (houseflies vomit digestive juices on everything they eat and then slurp it up like a sickening soup). They sting or bite (Australia’s funnel-web spider can kill you if you don’t get the antivenom). Their furry legs and murderous jaws (called mandibles) inspire sweat-inducing phobias (intensely strong feelings of distress triggered by specific things).

Picture Credit : Google