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300 million years ago insects could get really big. Millipedes and centipedes could get larger than humans, dragonflies as big as eagles, beatles the size of a large dog.The leading theory is that ancient bugs got big because they benefited from a surplus of oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere. And the leading theory on why there […]
It’s hard to imagine any place in Florida being insect-free, but that is the case at The Happiest Place on Earth, Disney World.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
And it’s all because of a carefully-planned operation created to make sure that guests have the most comfortable experience possible (and because mosquitoes carry serious illnesses). The Mosquito Surveillance Program runs the show at Disney World, ensuring that guests are not eaten alive while they wait to get on rides or stroll around the grounds. The program entails spraying insecticides and maintaining natural predators at the park.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
The Mosquito Surveillance team captures the insects, freezes them, and studies them to learn how to best rid Disney World of the pests. They also keep chickens on the grounds and test their blood to see what kind of diseases they might be contracting from mosquitoes, such as West Nile virus.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Disney actually made a film during World War II about the dangers of malaria, so you know the folks at the park are well versed in the dangers of mosquitoes and the diseases they carry. Watch the video below for more information.
Now if only Disney could find a way to make things a little cooler during the summer…
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As if regular wasps weren’t frightening enough, now you have another insect to worry about. It’s a super-stinger wasp that was discovered in the Amazon by researchers from the University of Turku in Finland.
Photo Credit: The University of Turku
The Calistoga crassicaudata has a stinger that is almost 5 millimeters long. And the way it lays eggs is really horrifying. The wasp impales its prey, usually a spider, the sting paralyzes it, and the wasp lays its eggs inside the prey. When the eggs hatch the prey dies. Thus is life in the animal kingdom…
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In 2004, to study the declining insect population, almost 40,000 UK drivers affixed a “splatometer” to the front of their cars. The results found one squashed insect per 5 miles driven, contrasting with summers of 30 years ago when windshields would quickly become encrusted with tiny bodies. 00
Crickets have twice the amount of protein ounce for ounce than beef, and three times the amount of iron.
There is a bug that evolved to have actual mechanical gears.