“So important are insects and other land-dwelling arthropods that if all were to disappear, humanity probably could not last more than a few months.” ~ E.O. Wilson, The Diversity of Life
If you dug up some soil in your place last week, you probably saw a few creatures in there. As mentioned last week, the soil is full of life, billions of microorganisms, visible and invisible to the naked eye.
Insects (bugs, bees, spiders, centipedes, etc.) and worms are two of the visible categories of creatures you’ll find in the soil. They generally have a yuck factor to them, for good reason. Some can wreak havoc in our homes and gardens, even for us personally. Think of the annoyance of mosquito or tick bites, or the fact that they can carry more serious diseases. And, I don’t know of anyone who likes bee stings.
Since they’re small and easily overlooked, insects and worms don’t generally get our attention unless they’re bothering us in some way. For example, the spider above was weaving a home in our patio umbrella. And just last week, we found a wasp nest on the umbrella. Flies and bees annoyingly buzz around us, especially if we have food.
Yet, just as soil is a miracle and indispensable to life, so are insects. They arguably make up the largest populations in our place and play a huge role in the health of our ecosystems, whether as predators or prey or as pollinators. Many also decompose organic matter.
I am no expert on insects but I do know that some are invasive and can bring down an entire tree species. However, since we have to live with these creatures in our places and because they’re essential to our existence, it’s a good idea to learn more about them and appreciate their role in our places.
Below are a couple of basic facts about insects and worms to keep in mind this week. I first became aware of some of these through the work of E.O. Wilson, who was one of the world’s foremost experts on biodiversity, insects, and ants in particular. Author of many books, including the classic, The Diversity of Life (1992), he died in 2021.
Insects make up approximately 80% of all known species. There have been close to two million insect species identified but scientists think there could be as many as ten million or more. There are probably unidentified species in your garden.
Without insects, human life would be very different, maybe even impossible. Currently, their populations are threatened by pesticides, habitat disturbance, and a changing climate. Ontario Nature reports that 40% of all insect species are declining globally and that a third are endangered.
Sources: fivethirtyeight, E.O. Wilson
Practice
Let’s make this week “Insects and Worms Appreciation Week.”
How many different insect and worm species can you identify this week in your yard or neighbourhood? Dig through the soil or churn up a nearby creek and see what you find. Share your findings in the comments or on Instagram and add the hashtag #seeingyourplace2022.
How can you support insects and worms? Ontario Nature suggests avoiding the use of pesticides and exterior lighting. Plant native gardens and leave sticks and leaves for insects to hibernate. Cultivate pollinator habitats.
Resources
Insects: What are they good for? (Ontario Nature)
How to Save Life on Earth, E.O. Wilson (6 mins video) via PBS
Hi Kim, even in the last two years, where I’ve been spending much more time playing in the soil (funny I typed soul instead of soil….really they are the same in many ways aren’t they), anyway finding less and less slugs and bugs, worms and bees in the wild. Love our city is leaving more wild space and less mowed grass, such as boulevards, wild space in parks, wild flowers planted in traffic island, for tiny creatures to thrive. Seeing more community gardens, backyard chickens, bee hives and wild edible / medicinal plants left to be and live with each other and us. Hope it’s enough. Thanks Kim for opening our hearts and eyes to small world creatures.