Some people have formed the misconception that all animals and insects are completely inferior to them, Why is this? Sure we have a working brain that can lay out intensely complicated patterns and think inside and outside the box. However did you ever wonder why a kid might fry ants with a magnifying glass, or the girl who runs from a spider and brings back someone to kill it, or the person that squashes a confused bug traveling up their arm? What exactly is the deal?
I want to put forward that people lack an understanding of insects quite frequently. Especially due to the misconception that all bugs are pests, this is not entirely true but most people would instantaneously upon sight squash a mosquito as fast as they would a mosquito eater. Where is the sense in that? There isn't any, people see a bug that can be squashed in their space and they squash it out of fear or annoyance...or even reflex. There are plenty of bugs we owe some survival to, such as bees, more specifically honey bees. Honey bees are at an increasing state of extinction and not to many people care, but eventually when all the honey is gone and all the many types a food goes with it people will be panicking.
Also, we owe a lot of plant life to worms for turning up soil and being a good fertilizer for smaller plants, and even more so we must thank a variety of ants. Ants can be seen in hunting parties taking on large bugs in primitive fighting styles for food, they can also be seen farming aphids to make an environment more livable for plants and bugs alike. Also there are some plants that the ants protect in the exchange of this the plant drops it's fruit for the ants to take. I want to get everyone else’s take on these small ideas, ask them what makes them better that they get to squash another life, To take a life in fun or in disgust. It would be nice to know why humans do the things they do. I believe I can turn a person’s reactions to some of the biodiversity of insects and other mammal pests.
There are a wide array of animals that all have many different activities they feel the need to preform almost everyday, some animals have rare activities that they absolutely can not stop doing. This is not human like, with the exception of obsessive compulsive disorder. For instance a spider may spin a web and nest for it's babies, and leave half way through the construction to collect food. If part of it was destroyed the spider would acknowledge the damage and do what? It would start where it left off regardless of damage, once it starts it must finish. This brings in another point all creatures have a care or love for their young, it might not show as strongly but it is indeed there.
Note insects even show a chain of command and have a society full of rules. Bees and ants among many other types of small critters like pill bugs also have queens, some workers, some warriors and among that breeders were even needed, as well as nursers. People don't sometimes understand the wide variety of intelligences among these simplistic beings. You can learn alot if you just lower yourself down to their scale, see how they work and function.
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First off, Jason, you'd be so proud of me... This morning when I walked into my bathroom, a huge tan bug that looked like it had armor on, was chilling on the curtain. For some reason these bugs have been seen in my house throughout the winter. At first I flushed a couple of the little things down the toliet. Then, I actually started to feel bad and would grab them with a rag and let them free outside. I'm usually the type of person where my first thought of action towards a spider in the kitchen is to free it, not murder it with the bottom of my shoe. So I completely agree with your blog. And I've become even more aware of caring for the smaller creepy, crawlers in life because of your blog post!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your blog because it's so true how people are so quick to kill something rather than "save" it because of our fears and misconceptions. I recently heard someone say, "kill every bug in the world, nature and humanity would perish; kill every human in the world, and all forms of nature would thrive". It's so true that we have the power to destroy so much with just little action.
I have to confess that I am a runner. I run from spiders no matter what size, shape, or color. They make me afraid for reasons I couldn't even begin to tell you. I know I am 5,000,000 times the spiders size, and it is probably yelling just as loud as I am, but for some reason I run. Far and fast. However, I am NOT the girl who runs to find someone to squash the poor thing. Even when I am driving and I hit a bug at 60mph I think about it's family. Sometimes I even get upset because I know it was in the middle of getting something done.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was 6 I heard that bees died after they stung someone, and it made me think that if I let them sting me I could make them die. So I took off my shoes and stepped on the first bee I saw, he was in a flower, and let him sting me(Don't judge me). It didn't feel too good, but at least I killed him. From then on I told myself to never do that again. For one I found out just how important the job that be was performing is to our society, and for two what did that poor thing ever do to me?
It is amazing how delicate these creatures are, but what is even more amazing is how much we need them. If not for spiders there would be too many bugs, and if not for certain bugs life would be very different. Ants are very hard workers, and the way they delegate is very interesting. There was a recent documentary on Ants and the way they work together was out of this world. Inside of their "home" were bridges, cables, and all kinds structures made entirely of their own bodies. They connected themselves to one another and made a very strong structure. The human race could learn a lot from these little guys, all bugs included.
Im not going to lie i am completley terrfied of any creature that craws or hangs. I use to have spiders alot in my house and it was the worse thing ever that i had to experience. I give you props for not freaking out over bugs, because some guys do. I know my ex use to hate bugs or spiders.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your article i felt i had a better understanding about bugs and creators in general ha. It just amazing how we actually do need spiders around to getrid of the other bugs. I just have a better appreciation for bugs now.