Why Do We Love Bugs? Because They Are Fascinating Creatures

We love bugs and we make it our business, literally, to know and understand their habitats and behaviors. But, beyond pest control, we also love many other insects and creatures that are part of nature’s wonderful mosaic.Think about how often you encounter bugs. A friend saw a wasp hovering in front of her side-view mirror while parked in her car. She texted a picture to our team and one of our exterminators immediately identified it as a mahogany wasp. These are also known as red wasps or paper wasps (Polistes carolina). He asked if she was near a large source of wood – lo and behold, she was at a lumber yard!Insects are all around us and we often don’t take the time to notice the vast differences among them. Take dragonflies and damselflies. What’s the difference? The distinguishing characteristic is how they rest their wings. Dragonflies rest with their wings outstretched. Damselflies rest with their wings back.Sometimes, insects sometimes either are disguised as other creatures or can be easily mistaken for non-insects. For instance, have you ever seen a moth that looks like a hummingbird?! These are known as Hemaris thysbe, or a clearwing moth. The Brits call them Bee Hawk Moths. Would you believe they eat flower nectar? That’s why you see these moths hovering over flowers, just like hummingbirds.Now, when it comes to bugs in your home, such as ants or roaches, these creatures understandably unappealing, except to curious entomologists (scientists who study insects). Other commonly found buggers in houses include silverfish and ladybugs. Did you know there are different kinds of ladybugs?If the ladybugs invading your home are orange-hued, you may have a problem. The Harlequin Ladybird, also known as an Asian ladybug or Asian lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis) is actually another kind of coccinellid beetle.The red ladybug we associate with good luck typically stays in the garden, where they can do nice things, such as eat plant-destroying aphids. The Asian lady beetle can infest a house and its habits include biting and secreting a stinky yellow fluid.As for silverfish (Lepisma saccharina), you may notice them around sinks in kitchens and bathrooms and on kitchen counters near canisters. They like damp areas and eat foods humans keep around, such as sugar. They also eat paper, so you might find them in a filing cabinet or near the recycling bin.The silverfish might freak you out, but they are not directly harmful to humans, unlike roaches, which do carry germs and leave waste material that is harmful when exposed to air and breathed in. The silverfish, however, can damage the materials it eats, such as books or cereal boxes. Therefore, you do not want them around either!With the onset of Spring and the coming Summer, we are writing a series of posts on bugs of all kinds, ranging from the beauties to the beasts! We will also be sharing with you cool videos of these amazing creatures, large and small.#WeLikeBigBugsandWeCannotLie