Jevon Li/ Staff reporter
Insects are very crucial for the food chain, even though some people may hate them. A recent study conducted by University of Connecticut entomologist David Wagner revealed that Earth is losing 1 to 2 percent of its insects every year. That could potentially be very costly to humans because insects contribute a lot to them and the environment.
As the number of insects is going down every year, it is starting to take a toll on both the environment and people’s day-to-day life.
“With species loss, we lose not only another piece of the complex puzzle that is our living world, but also biomass, essential for example to feed other animals in the living chain, unique genes and substances that might one day contribute to cure diseases, and ecosystem functions on which humanity depends,” says Pedro Cardoso, a scientist in the University of Helsinki, Finland.
Preserving insects have not really been a concern until now that people notice they are decreasing in a tremendous rate. However, if individuals are more considerate and thoughtful, they can definitely cease them from diminishing even more.
Here are a few tips on how to protect insects:
1. Grow plants
Plants and flowers can attract pollinators, which are the insects, to produce more off springs. This will lower the chance of extinction of insects. Plants can also help out the environment that insects are living in by providing more oxygen to the surroundings and reducing pollution.
2. Eat organic food
Organic fruit and vegetables don’t contain artificial fertilizers, which can damage insect habitats. They are produced using only natural fertilizers. Natural fertilizers don’t have chemical pesticides in it. As mentioned, pesticides destroy the environment and kill insects easily. Less usage of it can help out the habitats that insects are living in.
3. Reduce the use of pesticides
Pesticides are often deadly for most of the insects, and can make their way into water sources, like ponds and rivers, and eventually into the ocean. They can potentially ruin a lot of insects’ habitats, and making them way harder to adapt to the environment.
Historically, some of the most toxic, persistent pollutants released into the environment have been pesticides (e.g. DDT, dieldrin, agent orange). Therefore, reducing the use of them not only can save the insects from dying, but also help out the environment.
It is recommended to use natural products, such as grass clippings, recycled food leftovers or compost made from organic waste, as bug-friendly alternatives.
4. Be less tidy
This might sound pretty ridiculous at first. But simply being messier can also help to preserve insects.
One of the reasons the insect population is plummeting is that they are losing a lot of habitats in the world because of climate change and other factors. Good quality habitats for insects are being eroded away.
Insects generally don’t like being in manicured and clean environment. They would rather prefer gardens with long grass and wildflowers than the normal tidy ones. Patches are also really good habitats for them as they have everything around them.
Sources
https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/insects-death-1.5870352
https://www.rcinet.ca/en/2021/01/13/world-insect-decline-a-serious-issue-for-nature-and-for-humans/
https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/13/opinions/protect-insects-five-things-intl