How many people do you know who can live without a head? Well, a cockroach can survive nine days without it! Everyone knows pests are disgusting and nuisance wherever they go. While that is true, they are also quite interesting with some fascinating facts about them.
Today’s blog will discuss some of the most unheard and unusual facts about common household pests. These facts might even help homeowners understand pest behavior and implement the right strategies for management and control.
That being said, nothing beats professional work like that of Saela Pest control services in Boise, Idaho. If you suspect you have an infestation in your house, take action immediately. Meanwhile, read this blog and enjoy some facts.
Eight facts about various insects
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Unique eating habits of houseflies.
Did you know that houseflies eat their own vomit? When a housefly finds a food source, it regurgitates digestive enzymes and other juices from its stomach onto the food. This allows for external digestion of the food and turns it into liquid form. It then becomes easier for the flies to digest the food when they eat it.
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Weird mating rituals in spiders.
Spiders have a weird mating ritual where the male spider dances in front of the female spider to attract it. Different species have different steps, but all of them are precise and coordinated. They show off their legs and body colors. The female spiders select the best dancer based on the quality.
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Stink bugs’ stinky defense.
Stink bugs were named so because of their unique defense mechanism. Whenever these bugs feel threatened, they release a foul odor in order to get away from the predator. Predators dislike the smell, which makes the stink bugs unappealing to eat. Therefore, smelling bad can actually save your life in the insect world!
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Tear-drinking butterflies.
Have you ever heard of an animal, insect, or bird liking tears as a meal? There are some species of butterflies in the world, like the Julia butterfly, which drinks the tears of a specific turtle. This unique process is known as lachryphagy. They first irritate the turtles while riding on their backs and then drink their tears once they are provoked.
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Music-loving termites.
Can you imagine termites dancing to rock music? Research has shown that termites are more likely to eat wood faster when exposed to rock music. The vibrational frequencies from the sounds seem to make these pests consume faster. This could indicate that termites love a good beat!
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Wasps make zombies.
This is particularly a weird one. The emerald jewel wasp has a unique way of bringing food for its little ones. The wasp first injects a cockroach’s body with toxins that turn its body into a “zombie-like” state.
The toxin not only paralyzes the cockroach’s body, but even has the ability to modify its behavior. The cockroach, still alive, follows the wasp to its nest. The wasp lays eggs. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on the cockroach.
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Ants, kidnapping, and slavery.
Yes, ants might be involved in practices like kidnapping and slavery as well. Only a certain species, known as the “slavery ants,” do this. These ants conduct raids in neighboring ant colonies and capture worker ants to expand their own colony. This is an unusual insect social behavior that reflects the complexity of their societies.
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The only insect in Antarctica.
Everyone knows Antarctica is a block of ice, and not a lot of animals have been found there. Due to the extreme conditions, only one insect was found there, and it was called the Antarctic midge. They have a relatively short lifespan, averaging one week.
Get expert help for insects today!
There are some weird and fascinating insects out there. Some of them can get inside your house and cause a nuisance. You should not have to share your home with stinky bugs or creepy spiders. Hire pest control in Boise, Idaho, today!
