|
In the course of human
existence, man has always been plagued by pests. As the
first Homo sapiens came into being, they entered a world,
which was infested with over 85,000 species of pests. Humans
have constantly struggled to keep pests away. This is
because they bite us, infect us with disease, and most of
all they annoy us. Not only that, they attack our crops, our
animals, our homes, our stored food, and most of all, our
peace of mind. The battle against pests has not been an easy
one; after all, pests can inhabit virtually every area on
earth. Their dwellings include the peaks of snow-capped
mountains, the depths of cold, damp caves, the midst of hot,
steamy jungles, our surroundings and even the cereal boxes
in our homes. Pests have adapted so well to any environment
that they are ubiquitous and virtually uncontrollable.
Until the 1650s, people
believed that pests were created by spontaneous generation.
For example it was widely believed that maggots materialized
from rotting meat. They sabotage our food supply, eat our
clothes, and destroy our homes. They also feed on us and
spread sometimes; fatal diseases. To us pests seem like
beings from another planet. Some don’t have noses, but they
have an acute sense of smell, some have no lungs but they
need oxygen to survive, others have no ears but they are
very sensitive to vibrations. They have ears under their
knees and gills beneath their stomachs and breathing tubes
on their side. Their exoskeleton is outside their body
(hence the crunch when you step on some of them). They seem
to have hundreds of legs and just looking at them can give
you the creeps.
We don't give pests enough
credit: we loathe them with a passion, but never think of
how they benefit us. Less than 1% of all the so called
“pests” are actually pests. They work harder, jump higher,
lift a larger percentage of their mass, and can out fly us
any day. Pests are an important source of food for reptiles,
birds, fish, and some mammals. Without pests these creatures
would die of starvation. Pests also help us by recycling
dead organic matter. If they did not do this, the matter
would accumulate into disgusting piles and would kill plants
and small animals. Basically, the more we know about them,
the more we will be able to distinguish between good and
harmful pests. |
