Thinking Citizen Blog — Winged Hell or Flying Aliens? Mosquitos, Flies, Wasps
Thinking Citizen Blog — Wednesday is Climate Change, the Environment, and Sustainability Day
Today’s Topic: Winged Hell or Flying Aliens? Mosquitos, Flies, Wasps
I like focusing on the positive but it is really hard for me to say a kind word about mosquitos, flies, and wasps. As a kind of penance I decided today to learn something positive about each. Anything to add? Convinced? Not me. Not yet anyway. Experts — please chime in. Correct, elaborate, elucidate.
THE MOSQUITO — focus, focus, focus
1. Food for fish and birds.
2. Pollinators.
3. The mosquitos that are dangerous to humans are less than a hundred of thousands of species of mosquitos.
NB: Focus on the eradication of a handful of species responsible for the Zika virus, the West Nile virus, and malaria. Is complete eradication really a bad idea?
FLIES — unsung heroes in so many ways
1. “The unsung heroes of pollination” pollinating plants at least as well as any honeybee might.”
2. “Honeybees actually pack the pollen away in special baskets on their legs which mean the pollen grains are not available for pollinating the next flower. Flies don’t have the baskets, so all the pollen that gets stuck on the hairs on their body is available to pollinate the next flower.”
3. “Birds, lizards and frogs all enjoy chowing down on tasty flies (as does my dog).”
NB: “Flies act as scavengers consuming rotting organic matter so we don’t have to deal with it which is a very important role in the environment. If it wasn’t for flies, there would be rubbish and dead animal carcasses everywhere. A lovely thought to mull over while you’re grilling. Flies turn poo and rotting carcasses into stock feed, and live bird, frog and lizard food for free. Pretty cool if you think about it.”
WASPS — thousands of plants are pollinated by stinging wasps
1. “Without wasps…there could be an explosion in caterpillars and aphids. That, in turn, could decimate backyard gardens and crop yields.”
2. “Wasps have medicinal properties in their saliva. Mostly, it’s antibiotics..”
3. “Their venom sacks are essentially a pharmacy cabinet waiting to be opened.”
NB: “Wasps, which can look like flying aliens, aren’t easy to identify with.” (third link)
https://www.npr.org/2016/02/19/467395225/mosquitoes-what-are-they-good-for
https://www.mrmr.biz/mosquito-bite-mosquitoes-bite-sting/
https://blog.csiro.au/five-reasons-flies-are-awesome/
Wasps have a bad rap. This summer, let’s learn to love them
Click here for the last three years of posts arranged by theme:
PDF with headlines — Google Drive
YOUR TURN
Please share the coolest thing you learned in the last week related to climate change or the environment. Or the coolest, most important thing you learned in your life related to climate change that the rest of us may have missed. Your favorite chart or table perhaps…
This is your chance to make some one’s day. Or to cement in your own mind something that you might otherwise forget. Or to think more deeply than otherwise about something dear to your heart.
