What’s the purpose ants?
by paco on Monday, February 15th, 2010 | 4 Comments
Spiders catch annoying bugs, worms help irrigate soil, bees pollinate, and I can pretty much guess the purpose of other insects. But what about ants? What do they do that is beneficial to the earth? And while I’m at it… what about flies? I don’t hate ants or flies but I think most people will agree that they are generally annoying, especially in the house. So what do they do that helps the earth?
No animal exists to be beneficial to the earth. Some happen to have evolved to coincidentally do things we think are usefull (like bees), but the majority didn’t.
Do ants help us out? Probably not, but I think they’re still pretty cool.
To clean up after picnics. Flies are a food source for other insects, birds and fish.
Ants as a group are beneficial to humans. Their tunneling mixes and aerates the soil, in some places replacing the activity of earthworms. Many species feed on small insects that are serious crop pests
ants recycle dead things. They eat both vegetable and animals that are dead and recycle them into the earth. Flys provide the same service by laying eggs, creating maggots to eat dead flesh and plants, and recycle it to the earth.
Unfortunately, both ants and flys carry the pathogens, bacteria, germs and toxins of dead things on their bodies. They don’t wash after they finish crawling around on decaying animals, then walk all over your counters and through your food.