National Be Nice to Bugs Day – July 14
#NationalBeNiceToBugsDay
National Be Nice to Bugs Day is a day annually marked on July 14. It is a day that raises awareness about the importance of bugs in our ecosystem and stops their unnecessary killing.
National Be Nice to Bugs Day was created in 2021 to encourage people to learn to respect and acknowledge their existence instead of swatting at them out of fear. Bugs play a key role in balancing our ecosystem for several reasons.
Bugs help to breakdown and dispose of waste, dead animals and plants. They are the sole food source for many amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Bugs help to maintain healthy soil, recycle nutrients, pollinate flowers and crops and control pests. Bugs are also harvested and eaten by people in some cultures because they are a rich source of proteins, vitamins and minerals.
Unfortunately, many bug populations (like bees, grasshoppers, beetles and ants) are seeing a decrease in numbers because of habitat loss. Up to 40% of the world’s insect species may go extinct owing in part to habitat loss. The increase in pesticide use, artificial light pollution and climate change are also threatening bug populations.
National Be Nice to Bugs Day is a time to celebrate the benefits that bugs provide us and our environments and is an opportunity for us to develop strategies to protect them.
How to celebrate:
- Learn about bugs
- Spread awareness about bugs in your area and how to protect them
- Visit an insectarium in your area
- Create a bug-friendly garden – plant flowers and plants that attract and provide food for bugs.
- Grab a magnifying glass and go on a bug hunt in your backyard or a nearby park.
- Watch a bug documentary (The Secret Life of Bugs, The Tiny World of Insects)
Fun Facts:
- On average, a ladybug consumes more than 5,000 insects in a lifetime.
- Grasshoppers and dragonflies existed before the dinosaurs
- Caterpillars have 12 eyes, six on either side of their head.
- Bugs and insects are found everywhere except Antarctica.
- Ninety-six percent of North American birds, including the eastern phoebe, feed insects like yellow-jacket wasps to their young
- By breaking down and burying animal waste, dung beetles can reduce overall methane emissions on dairy and beef farms,
