Home >
We Need Most Insects
The entire evolution of the planet can be traced back to the humble earthworm. It was their work that set in motion the cycles of oxygen, C02 and ultimately photosynthesis. See Amy Stewart's "The Earth Moved"
For us they are a barometer of how well the soil is doing. Although I have yet to find a reason for mosquitoes (Heh! there's plenty of other bird food out there) we do keep an eye on most of the crawling critters around here. There are a lot of them.
Rare butterflies, Luna Moths, Wolf spiders. Bumble Bees, Honey bees, Carpenter Bees are all leading indicators that maybe your neighbor isn't using pesticide.
We have learned from the bugs that our desires are not the most important thing in the universe.
We could get by without ever seeing too many bugs. But they are so vital to the circle of life that their absence would be devastating. Our wonderful "free range eggs" need insects for the protein. (Grain fed eggs are runny and flavorless.)
Dung beetles provide a wonderful service as they reincorporate the cow pies with the earth. (Another reason not to use pesticides or wormers on your cattle). They aerate the soil and allow it retain more moisture.
Various varieties of dung beetles were prevalent throughout the United States prior to the use of herbicides and pesticides.
For a definitive work on the idea see Charles Walters on "Dung Beetles."
A curious aspect of the presence of bug pests is the concurrent presence of what we caustically call "weeds." Like bugs, weeds are a BIG clue as to what the soil needs.
For an in-depth study of the idea, see Charles Walter's Book "Weeds- Control Without Poisons."
Charles Walters died in 2009. Check back soon to see a collection of his phenomenal body of work and the legacy of sound farming that he left to the next generation.
