In Praise of Insects
One of the books I read this month is Buzz, Sting, Bite: Why We Need Insects by Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson. It is a very interesting book and gave me a much greater appreciation for insects and the role they play in God’s Creation. There certainly are a lot of insects on earth. Scientists estimate that there are close to a million different kinds! These six-legged creatures make up a huge percentage of the world’s living organisms. It’s a good thing they are there as they provide many valuable services for both humans and other creatures. The author of the book states “…we humans rely on insects getting their job done. We need them for pollination, decomposition, and soil formation; to serve as food for other animals, keep harmful organisms in check, disperse seeds, help us in our research, and inspire us with their smart solutions. Insects are nature’s little cogs that make the world go round.”
There are around thirty different orders of insects in the world. These include butterflies, beetles, wasps, flies, dragonflies, termites, and orthoptera (grasshoppers and crickets). Other than butterflies and a few beetles like the lightning bug, most people do not look favorably on insects. They appear to be little more than pests to a lot of folks. But as already noted, insects play a vital role in our lives. Sverdrup-Thygeson notes that it is not easy to put a price tag on the services insects provide. She says “the annual contribution of the many pollinating insects is estimated to be worth around $577 billion. Decomposition and soil formation are estimated to be worth four times as much as pollination in total.”
Unfortunately the insect population is declining worldwide. This is due to a number of factors. Those most frequently cited are “increasing land use, intensive farming and forestry practices, pesticides, and the decline in natural remnant habitats, as well as climate change.” It has been estimated that one-quarter of all insects may be under the threat of extinction.
I learned a lot about insects by reading Buzz, Sting, Bite and if you are interested in learning more about these fascinating creatures and all they do to enhance life on earth, I highly recommend you read it. The book left me marveling at the amazing web of life God created. Marvelous, indeed, are the works of the Lord! We should all give thanks for insects and learn to appreciate them more. They are worthy of our admiration, as King Solomon recognized, and protection.
A Canadian insect researcher once said, “The world is rich in small wonders—but so poor in eyes that see them.” I pray God will give us all the eyes to see the wonders of the insect world and all the other small creatures around us.
–Chuck