As annoying and inconvenient insects can be, they also have some rather impressive abilities and interesting dispositions. If you find yourself with these uninvited houseguests, it could be worthwhile learning a thing or two about them. You will better understand the why behind their behaviour or, at the least, know the answer to a trivia night question. Here are seven things you probably didn’t know about pests:
Ants protect their nests with their heads, sometimes
They can carry objects that are 50 times their body weight, but that is not the only talent ants have. They will also use their head to protect their colony from intruders. Ants have been around for more than 130 million years, which means they used to roam alongside dinosaurs. There is fossil evidence of ants and other insects from this time in lumps of plant resin and amber. Unfortunately, people are not able to protect their homes against these intruders with their heads.
Termites are quite clean
Though they can cause havoc on the structural integrity of your house, termites are beneficial to the environment. They help break down tough plant fibers, helping the ecosystem keep moving. But, termites also spend most of their life cleaning other termites in their colony. Fungal and bacterial infections can destroy termite colonies quickly, which is why they work so hard to groom one another and keep their territory clean. Their antennas allow them to detect the infection as they clean.
Bed bugs hide after they bite you
These pests can be quite a nuisance in your home, invading one of the most intimate places in your home. Your bed is also where you spend a lot of your time at home, so it should be clean and pest-free. It is difficult to detect bed bugs because they inject anesthetics and anti-coagulants into your skin. These substances prevent your blood from clotting and cause your skin to lose sensation. It helps them feed longer without waking you, and they can hide away before you realize they were there. This is why it takes so long to detect the presence of bed bugs and why infestations can get so out of hand.
Spider limbs work like a machine
While most spiders in the world are poisonous, you can rest assured that most also have teeth that are too small or lack venom potency to cause harm to people. But, it is not just their fangs and venom that give people chills – it is also the creepy manner they move in. It turns out their way of walking is similar to the way a construction excavator operates. Spiders control their blood pressure through their limbs by moving their blood through the movement of their hip joint muscles. This is also how jumping spiders can move the way they do.
Bees automatically select a new queen
These insects are incredibly community-driven with everything they do being for the hive. That is why they will sting perceived threats even though it means they will likely die after. Once the queen dies, she releases a pheromone that makes the worker bees immediately to choose a new queen from existing larvae.
Despite how fascinating these pests can be, they are still capable of harming your health and damaging your house. Call Contact Pest Control if you have any unwanted visitors in your home.
Visit one of our recent blogs that goes more in-depth on where pests go during the winter time