15 insects that benefit your health

Pest control is an integral part of the life of any gardener. But few people engage in attracting beneficial insects. Of course, we plant flowers so that bees, bumblebees and other pollinators will come to the garden. We know that ladybugs eat aphids, but we often confuse the eggs and larvae of the ladybird and the Colorado potato beetle.

What other insects can benefit our garden? How do they help? How to attract beneficial insects to your site? Let's try to answer these and other questions related to entomophages. This is the scientific name for those who eat insects.

Why are we so interested in entomophages? It's simple. Those who eat insects make the work of us gardeners easier. Insectivorous predators destroy pests without chemicals - cleanly and safely.

HERE we have already talked about some animals whose diet is dominated by insects. Today we will talk about predatory insects. We present to you 15+ beneficial insects that can regulate the number of pests in gardens and vegetable gardens, so that these same pests do not cause us trouble.

The role of animals in nature

Animals inhabit all corners of our planet: air, land, land, oceans and fresh water bodies.
The importance of animals in nature involves their participation in metabolism and energy conversion; they are part of biological food chains. Some eat plants, others need animal nutrients to survive, and some process the remains of dead organisms. The meaning of animals in nature

Most representatives of the class Insects contribute to plant pollination, increasing the yield of grain crops. Birds destroy insects that harm coniferous forests and park areas. Animals take part in the biological purification of water bodies and soil formation.

When creating new mechanisms, the fundamentals of the structure and functionality of animals are used, which are studied by the science of bionics (bion - “cell of life”). Bionics helps people create unique technical systems and processes based on ideas found and borrowed from nature.

Measures to reduce the number of insect pests

On the territory of our country there are about 700 species of insects - dangerous pests of agriculture and forestry.

To reduce their numbers, various methods are used: mechanical (crushing the eggs of the cabbage butterfly, destroying beet weevils in trap ditches, etc.), agrotechnical (sowing or planting plants so that they have time to get stronger and become tougher to the appearance of pests, cleaning the bark on the trunks of fruit trees, regularly collecting fallen fruits, etc.). In case of mass reproduction of pests, chemical methods are used: pollination and spraying of plants with toxic substances (in this case, unfortunately, many insects, earthworms, and birds die).

Nowadays, biological methods of plant protection are becoming of great importance: the protection and attraction of insectivorous birds, bats, the use of biological preparations that cause diseases of insect pests, as well as the breeding and use of other insects - natural enemies of insects that harm plants.

In the latter case, some predatory insects, egg eaters and riders are used.

Predatory insects.

Many types of insect predators provide great assistance in controlling the number of plant pests. Predatory ladybugs (seven-spotted, two-spotted, etc.) eat aphids, ground beetles eat various caterpillars. The larvae of these insects are also predators. Red forest ants protect the forest from various insect pests.

Equestrians and egg eaters.

The females of many ichneumonids (the white ichneumon waster, the aphid ichneumon) lay eggs in the body of young caterpillars or in the body of aphids.

The larvae emerging from the eggs lead a parasitic lifestyle, and then emerge from the body of the dying host and pupate. The egg eater Trichogramma lays eggs in the eggs of more than 80 species of butterflies, and the egg eater telenomus lays eggs in the eggs of pest bugs.

Trichogramma are bred in special laboratories on grain moth eggs and released into gardens and fields.

Insects are carriers of pathogens and parasites of humans and animals

Insects: their benefits and harm to humans and nature, habitat

What harm do insects cause?

External influences on the body

In every part of the planet, people have been fighting insects since ancient times, which cause harm to health and cause great damage to the economy.

In rare cases they may be beneficial.

There are a large number of insects harmful to humans. Blood-sucking insects are especially dangerous; they can spread pathogens of dangerous diseases. Aedes mosquitoes spread the Zika virus.

This virus is very dangerous for pregnant women, since the virus is transmitted from an infected mother to the fetus and at birth the child may have microcephaly.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has now banned women from traveling to Central and South America and has also designated the virus as an international threat.

Also, an ordinary fly that has flown into a room can be a carrier of dangerous diseases, including dysentery and cholera.

The tsetse fly causes great harm to the inhabitants of Africa - almost all domestic animals die from its bite, while for humans the bite is not fatal.

Another very serious pest for humans is the typograph bark beetle.

They cause damage to the economy, destroy forests on a large scale, and also destroy wooden buildings.

Only qualified help will solve any problems with insects.

Various types of mosquitoes bring a large number of problems to humans, of which the malaria ones are the most dangerous. Dragonflies and some species of birds help humans in the fight against these insects.

In some regions of Africa there are mosquitoes, the bite of which can cause great pain in both humans and animals.

Large numbers of these insects can enter the mouth and nose, as well as the eyes.

Lice and fleas are also carriers of serious diseases - typhoid.

They are mainly found in animals: cows, pigs, birds and rats.

In livestock farming, horseflies and gadflies cause enormous harm. They cause milk production, as they do not allow animals on pastures to eat normally.

Living in a room with cockroaches and bedbugs also causes great trouble for the owners.

Cockroaches are very prolific, and some of them can carry pathogens of dangerous diseases. Therefore, observing sanitary standards in the room, and, if necessary, carrying out sanitary treatment will help you forget about unpleasant insects once and for all.

Insect pests of plants

Each order contains insects that, when multiplying en masse, cause significant damage to plants in fields, orchards and orchards. Among orthopterans, such insects include the Asian, or migratory, locust, and the common mole cricket; among bedbugs, the noxious turtle bug.

The Asian locust feeds on various plants, and after its invasion, fields are left bare. The main breeding grounds for locusts are reed beds of large southern rivers. The number of this insect is under constant control of special plant protection organizations. The common mole cricket lives in the soil.

Making nests and making numerous moves, it gnaws through roots and underground parts of stems, eats up tubers, root crops, and seeds.

The pest bug (both adults and larvae) damages cereals, especially wheat. By piercing the grains that have not yet ripened, the bugs inject saliva into them and suck out the dissolved contents.

Among the Coleoptera, the Colorado potato beetle, beet weevil, and click beetle are widespread in fields and gardens.

The Colorado potato beetle is a dangerous potato pest. During the summer, 2-3 generations of beetles develop.

The importance of animals in the natural world

The most important component of the basis of life in the surrounding world, of course, is lush and succulent vegetation, which since ancient times has served all living things as daily delicious food and a source of oxygen.

And the most necessary link in the natural environment is the animal kingdom, which numbers over 3 million species known to mankind.

The integral components of the ecological system—animals—have at all times been assigned the most important role in maintaining the hygienic cleanliness of the environment, the balance of the biosphere and natural harmony.

Both of these communities directly depend on each other, since both are equilibrium links in the same food chain, where any disappearance of one species can negatively affect the entire ecosystem. Apparently, this is why there are no trifles in the life of nature and that is why everything here is so important, since:

animals are necessary for plants for pollination and nutrition,
But plants are also necessary for animals as food.

Features of the species

The number of animal species of this class on the planet significantly exceeds the number of other groups. To date, more than 625 thousand of their species are known. The most common beetles are the common beetles, which have hard front wings.

There is also a division based on the nature of nutrition. Among them there are three groups:

Those that eat other insects (ladybugs, mantises).
Those that eat waste from the decomposition of plants and animals (dead eaters, gravediggers).
Feeding on plants (chafer beetles, leaf beetles, beetles).

It is worth noting that some types of ladybugs are specially bred in laboratory conditions. This is necessary in order to subsequently release them into greenhouses and gardens to destroy aphids.

Dead eaters and gravediggers are nature's orderlies. They prevent environmental pollution from waste from decaying living organisms.

Description and habitat

Horseflies are flying arthropod insects from the Diptera family. It is most active in wetlands and agricultural areas where livestock are raised.

Externally, the horsefly looks like a large fly about 2 cm in size; natural shades predominate in color - gray, brown. Looking at the appearance of the gadfly, you can see eyes that change color, impressive sharp mouthparts and a fleshy proboscis.

The horsefly has a slightly elongated body with a thin chitinous covering. Behind the transparent wings there are halteres, thanks to which the insect can balance during flight and make characteristic sounds.

Diversity

In the photo: Mosquito.

Among the most important orders of insects, two large groups are distinguished. These are species with complete transformation, and the second group includes insects with incomplete transformation.

The division of the body into three parts, as well as antennae and compound eyes are the most important characteristics of insects. In addition, vision plays the most important role in nocturnal insects, but daytime insects navigate in space with the help of other organs.

A striking feature of insects is their extraordinary diversity. Flying, crawling, running, swimming, they all play their role in living nature.

The role of animals in nature

Animals inhabit all corners of our planet: air, land, land, oceans and fresh water bodies. The importance of animals in nature involves their participation in metabolism and energy conversion; they are part of biological food chains. Some eat plants, others need animal nutrients to survive, and some process the remains of dead organisms.

The meaning of animals in nature

Ground beetle

In many gardens, the ground beetle is found from April to the end of October. They are predators that feed on eggs, caterpillars, pupae and adults of many garden pests. In one day, one ground beetle can destroy three to five gooseberry moth larvae, up to a dozen sawfly caterpillars, and about a hundred gall midge larvae.

The ground beetle hunts at night and is rarely seen during the day. These insects spend the winter in the soil.

Ground beetles and their growing offspring will happily settle in sawdust, shavings, and fallen leaves. Arrange a couple of shelters for them on the site, and soon you will have faithful garden assistants in them.

Elk tick or deer bloodsucker

Moose ticks are not actually ticks at all. This is a separate species of insects that belong to the order Diptera, not arachnids. The parasites got their name due to some external resemblance to ticks and their diet. They feed only on blood. Deer bloodsuckers have not yet been studied well enough, but entomological science still has some reliable facts about them.

Deer bloodsuckers are viviparous insects.
They lay a larva ready for pupation on the body of an elk or other ungulate, which feeds on its blood, and then falls to the ground and there develops to the adult stage.
Due to the structure of the body, the moose tick is practically invulnerable to physical impact; it is very difficult to crush it with a slap of the palm, like a mosquito or fly.
Since the parasite feeds on blood, it can most often be found in areas where the main source of food lives - wild and domestic ungulates.
The pest can always be found on elk and deer.
Bloodsuckers navigate by heat and smell and can attack several dozen individuals.

How to distinguish this pest from flies, ticks and other insects? Are bloodsuckers dangerous for humans and how to deal with them if they appear in an apartment or bother you in any open-air areas?

Moose tick: photo

Bloodsuckers are quite small in size, so it can be difficult to see them in detail. A photograph taken on a phone with good sharpness, or a magnifying glass, can come to the rescue here if you managed to slam the parasite, but did not crush it completely.

The body length of an adult bloodsucker reaches 3–4.5 millimeters; females are usually larger than males.
The body color of the parasite ranges from light brown to copper and almost black, looking like stains of different shades or spots.
The insect has wings and can fly, albeit rather clumsily, preferring to move by jumping or running.
Transparent wings like those of flies are almost twice the length of the body.
As soon as an elk tick lands on the body of the animal it will feed on, it destroys its wings and remains on the host without them.
Without wings, the pest is somewhat reminiscent of a tick or spider with a large abdomen, but has only 6 legs, and not 8, like all arachnids.

Due to the characteristic appearance after the insect has destroyed its wings and because the parasite feeds on blood, it is often confused with mites, but in fact the pest has nothing to do with them. According to the official scientific classification, deer bloodsuckers are closer to flies than to ticks.

If you are still in doubt about what kind of parasite you have encountered, look at how the moose tick looks in the photo and compare it with the pest you discovered.

Moose ticks: are they dangerous for humans?

For people, the main danger that comes from deer bloodsuckers is bites and their consequences.

The reaction to elk tick bites is individual for all people and can vary greatly - for some, the bites practically do not itch and heal in 3-5 days, almost the same as mosquito bites; for others, reactions are observed up to several weeks.
An allergic reaction may occur to bloodsucker bites.
In addition to redness, a lump or so-called papule appears at the site of the bite.
Bloodsuckers can attack en masse rather than bite one at a time.
Insects can carry Lyme disease or tick-borne borreliosis.

The main problem with bloodsucker bites in humans is that there is no single algorithm for the body's reaction, as is the case with the bites of most other insects. This complicates treatment, especially with a massive attack of parasites. Moose ticks are undoubtedly dangerous to humans, however, there is every reason to assume that the pests attack people only in the absence of other food. They do not reproduce on humans and some animals whose blood they drink, so scientists often conclude that the insect is simply not very good at distinguishing who it bites. Most often, parasites can be found on:

Moose
Reindeer
Roe deer
Kabanakh
Foxes
Mustelidae
Dogs
Cattle

Natural repellents, insecticides

Expensive, dangerous, widely sold pesticides are not only harmful to all living things, but are also not always effective in the long term. We suggest considering simple natural solutions for killing insects:

Soda

Baking soda and powdered sugar mixed in equal parts are a good way to kill cockroaches. Just scatter them around the area where you see them and wait for them to disappear.

Boric acid

In amounts less than a teaspoon, boric acid is about as toxic to humans as table salt (boric acid should never be consumed). But it is an effective killer of cockroaches and other insects (does not affect sucking insects, most larvae.).

From ants

A tricky way to get rid of ants is to kill the queen. Scatter the rice over the anthill. The workers will take the cereal to the queen for her meal. She will eat it and drink it. The croup in the stomach will expand, it will “swell” to death. Once gone, the leaderless ants will die.

Carnation

Cloves smell better than moth balls. It is a natural remedy against winged insects. You can create your own trap by filling a small bowl with water and leaving a night light over it. Pests attracted to the light will burn and fall into the water. Add a little dish soap to break the surface tension of the water.

Flour

Corn gluten meal may not sound very appetizing, but it is a natural preemptive strike against weeds. Apply it in early spring before weeds sprout. Corn gluten meal is a byproduct of the corn milling process and is a natural fertilizer.

Diatomaceous earth

Diatomaceous earth consists of the fossilized remains of single-celled organisms. The glassy nature of diatomaceous earth makes it one of the oldest forms of insecticides. Sharp surfaces cut through the insect's cuticle, and the pest dies from dehydration. Diatomaceous earth kills earwigs, ants, and bedbugs.

Rosemary

Grind the rosemary leaves into a fine powder. Sprinkle on your pet or bedding to repel fleas.

Find out more Midge bites - treatment methods, methods of protection

Liquid soap

Ivory liquid dish detergent is a natural insecticide. Dilute with water until it is a 1 or 2 percent solution, then spray onto plants.

Neem oil

Neem oil, a vegetable oil made from the seeds of the Indian neem tree, prevents the growth of fungi and repels and kills insects including ticks and spiders. Not toxic to birds, mammals, beneficial insects. One word of caution - it does affect bees, so use in the evening to minimize exposure. Neem oil is sold in concentrated form to which you add water.

From flies

Fruit flies are wine lovers. Use this knowledge to your advantage: fill the saucer with cheap white wine and add some detergent. Leave the composition for killing flies.
Natural fly catcher. Place something sickly sweet, like mango peel, in the bottom of a bottle with a narrow neck. The flies will fly in, but will not be able to fly out.
You can even make your own sticky fly paper. Boil water, sugar and corn syrup. Spoon the sticky mixture into paper bags and voila, you have your very own trap.

Candles

To control mosquitoes, it is an old custom to light citronella candles. The smell of candles will help repel annoying creatures.

From slugs

To get rid of slugs and snails, turn the flower pot over near a shady plant. Use a stick to prop it up or place it on uneven ground to provide ample entry for slugs and snails. They will crawl under the rim to escape the heat. Check the flower pot at the end of the day and remove any pests.

The importance of ticks in nature and human life

There is hardly a place on Earth where ticks do not live. This group of arachnids is one of the most numerous, with about 25 thousand species. They are different in structure, lifestyle, habitat, size and color, among them there are plant pests, blood-sucking specimens and parasites. Humanity has long been waging an irreconcilable war with them, but we still need to admit that the importance of ticks in nature is enormous.

The greatest danger to people are ixodid ticks, which feed on blood and are carriers of dangerous diseases. At the same time, these arachnids are indispensable in the ecosystem, since they act as a regulator of natural selection. Weak animals die after being bitten by such a tick, giving way to the strongest, and they, in turn, develop immunity. Thus, in nature, the numerical balance of individuals is maintained.

Here is a striking example of how an obvious benefit for nature simultaneously has an extremely negative impact on humans. Therefore, the question of the benefits and harms of ticks needs to be considered in more detail, because the answer to it is completely ambiguous.

Sources

Alekhin, A.P. Administrative law of Russia / A.P. Alekhin, A.A. Karmolitsky. — M.: Mirror; 2nd edition, revised. and additional, 2009. - 528 p.
Ivanova, Elena Seminar plans and tests on social security law / Elena Ivanova. - M.: BUK, 2022. - 768 p.
Law and Economics No. 01/2010 / Absent. - M.: Justitsinform, 2010. - 900 p.
Shastitko A.E. Trading durable goods: object set and antitrust limits; Synergy - M., 2015. - 310 p.
Ekhlakova Elena Property and labor - optimization of the impact of the state according to the criterion of improving the quality of life; Dashkov and K - M., 2009. - 786 p.

Red Book

Considering the importance of insects in nature, some of their endangered species are subject to protection.

To date, about 95 species that are on the verge of extinction are listed in the Red Book. The majority of rare insects are beetles (36 species). These include alpine longhorned beetles, ground beetles, beauty beetles and others.

There are 33 species of butterflies in the Red Book - Apollo, Bluebirds, Ursa and others. 23 species of Hymenoptera are subject to protection. Among them there are seemingly common insects - bees and bumblebees. The remaining two species are dragonflies.

Benefits of turning to specialists

Only specialists can correctly assess the situation and accurately determine the places where insects nest. They also know about all the new and most effective means, calculating with high accuracy the required dosage of a particular insecticide. Therefore, disinsection (extermination of insects) with the participation of professionals is carried out in such a way as to exclude as much as possible the possibility of their reappearance. Chemicals used to kill harmful insects (insecticides) must also meet a number of requirements: be certified, safe for people, and, of course, effective. The processing must be of high quality, and its validity period must be as long as possible.

Osmia

The furry insects, similar to bees, are completely harmless. They bring great benefits to the garden. Osmia go to collect nectar even in weather conditions in which an ordinary domestic bee would not get to work. If you want these workers to settle in your garden, get buildings with or simply place several pieces of wood with drilled holes on the site. They love osmium and elderberry branches without a core. This is just the perfect house for them.

This beneficial insect can settle in the most unexpected place: in the hole of an old nail or a door crack.

A little about disinfestation

Professional extermination of insects allows SES to specialize in the most complex cases. Cheap and “home-grown” remedies no longer work in the 21st century. Moreover, if used immoderately, they do a disservice to professionals. It can be quite difficult to select a chemical against which insects do not have stable immunity. And manufacturers of household pesticides still produce their products using substances that were popular for purchase several decades ago. At the same time, professionals have at their disposal much more modern chemistry, which does not pose a threat to the environment and quickly disintegrates into harmless components after processing.

pros

A positive impact on the biosphere is an extremely controversial issue. Even to do something good for nature, a person takes something from it. That is, it takes away and then returns, and even then, not in full. Thus, crumbs of positive influence can in no way save the situation. Therefore, most ecologists and researchers believe that humans have no benefit for the biosphere. And yet you can try to highlight a few positive points.

Artificial plantings can improve the environment.
Thanks to many charitable foundations, regions remote from civilization can receive assistance in the form of clean water, quality food, and so on.
The technical process, as well as medicine, are the main advantages of human impact and influence on nature. Although many believe that this is not a plus, medications are being developed not only for people, but also for animals and plants. Thus, a person “returns” the taken resources for the treatment of plants, animals, and so on.
Many species are considered endangered precisely because of human influence. But the same person does a lot to prevent them from disappearing and increasing in number again. This is done through protected areas and other specialized places.