Do you cringe when a buzzing bee floats by? Are you annoyed by pesky, biting mosquitoes? Do you despise wispy spider webs? Do creeping, flying, crawling, slithering, and squirming bugs make you shudder? If so, you may be surprised to discover that insects play a crucial role in the balance of Calgary’s ecosystem. Boasting three body parts (thorax, head, abdomen), six legs, two antennae, and usually two pairs of wings, insects make up 80% of species on the planet. They’re a critical component of biodiversity, maintaining a productive, healthy ecosystem by affecting plant population, activity, and physiology.
Insects are bio-indicators of healthy soils and streams, the base of many food webs, and help with the biological control of other pests. A decline in the insect population could create food shortages, a reduction in biodiversity, and higher prices.
How Pests Help Calgary’s Ecosystem
Before reaching for sticky traps, pesticides, swatters, or nematicides, consider the role pests play in keeping your yard, community, and the planet in balance.
Pests:
- Play a role in aquatic ecosystems: Insects assist in the decomposition of debris found in aquatic ecosystems, helping to provide cleaner water for wildlife, people, and plants.
- Increase crop yields: Less than 1% of insect species damage crops. Many insects (ground beetles, ladybugs, assassin bugs, hoverflies, parasitoid wasps, tachinid flies, etc.) increase yields by keeping weeds and other pests in check (hunting, killing, and consuming them). They reduce the need for pesticides that harm soil and pollinators.
- Aerate and improve soil quality: Some critters (ants, sandworms, millipedes, beetles, centipedes, earthworms, etc.) create and aerate soil, contributing to healthy plant growth.
- Recycle nutrients: By eating leaves, animal waste, bacteria, dead animals, fungi, worms, and dung beetles, these organisms recycle matter, benefiting the soil.
- Pollinate crops/flowers: Butterflies, bees, moths, flies, wasps, and beetles transfer pollen, enabling fertilization and reproduction of plants. A decline in insects could affect plant diversity by creating competition for pollinators, in turn affecting creatures that depend upon plants for food.
- Feed birds: Insects feed and maintain bird populations. Birds consume approximately 500 tons of insects each year!
One Man And A Lady Bug Can Help
Do you wish to help maintain biodiversity in the Calgary ecosystem? Are you interested in eco-friendly pest treatments? Do you need advice regarding when and how aggressively pest problems should be treated? Do you need commercial or residential pest control services? Contact One Man & A Ladybug. We offer many treatment options. Talk to us about the best method for your pest situation.
