6 Insect Facts You Don’t Know
While many types of insects are creepy or scary, no one can deny that they’re fascinating. The professionals at Apex know many interesting facts about the creepy bugs they encounter on a daily basis. Here are six insect facts you probably don’t know.
- Houseflies Vomit on Food
If a housefly lands on your meal, you may be tempted to just swat it away and keep eating. Not so fast! Houseflies have a somewhat gross habit of vomiting on foods they want to eat. If they want to eat something solid, like a bite of your pizza, they need to vomit on it first. The vomit helps break down the food, and the fly can then slurp up the liquid.
- Army Ant Bites Can Close Wounds
When ants bite, their mandibles pinch the skin. Some ants have strong enough bites that they can be used to help close small wounds. Of course, this doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Ants aren’t sterile, and using them to close a wound could cause an infection. Using ants to close wounds is an interesting bit of trivia, but it’s best to stick to bandages or stitches.
- Honeybees Have Hairy Eyes
Honeybees are covered in hair. In total, they have nearly three million hairs on their bodies. They use these hairs to carry pollen. Surprisingly, they even have hairs on their eyes. Every hair on a bee’s eyes can hold a grain of pollen.
- Some Insect Parasites Eat Their Own Mothers
Many parasitic insects lay their eggs in other insects. When the eggs hatch, they feed on their host. Some parasites, like strepsiptera insects, are much more horrifying. A female strepsiptera insect burrows into a host insect and waits as her own young feed on her from the inside out. When the young are large enough, they burst out of their mother and the host insect.
- Cockroaches Can Live Without Their Heads
Most animals can’t survive long without their heads, but the same isn’t true for cockroaches. If cockroaches are decapitated, they can survive for weeks. They breathe through little holes in their body segments, so they can continue receiving oxygen, even without their heads. Unfortunately for cockroaches, they can’t eat or drink without their heads. Eventually, they’ll die.
- Female Praying Mantises Eat Their Partners
Mating is very risky for male praying mantises. After mating, female praying mantises often kill and eat their partners. Sometimes, they even eat the males’ heads before mating. The headless males are still able to finish the mating process. Males aren’t always killed during mating, however. Some lucky males escape unscathed.
Insects can be fascinating, but not if they’re living in your home. If you need help clearing out pests, contact the professionals at Apex.
Apex Pest Control is one of the most trusted Orlando pest removal companies in the state. We’re proud of the work we do to help keep the homes, landscape, and businesses in our community free from harmful plants, insects, and animals, while also striving to maintain a balance with the ecosystem as a whole. Check out our blog or contact us today to learn more!
