Natural Pest Killing Science Project Idea

Science Project Idea- Number of Injurious Insects Reduced by Natural Means

Man's fight against injurious insects might be a losing one if he were not assisted by the many animals that prey upon insects.The big dragon flies which you see soaring in the air, reminding you of miniature airplanes, are on the lookout for flying insects, of which they devour an enormous number.The immature stage (larva) of the dragon fly, living in ponds, have also as their one occupation the destruction of the young stages of other insects.Ladybird beetles, commonly called "lady- bugs" those small round beetles which most of us know, are very helpful in keeping down the increase of plant lice and scales.A number of years ago a species of the ladybird beetle saved the orange industry of California.

The orange groves were threatened with destruction by a scale insect introduced from Australia.As its spread could not be stopped by the ordinary methods of fighting insects, an expert in the study of insects was sent to Australia to find if the scale had any natural enemy.It was found that a certain kind of ladybird beetle fed upon them and thus kept them in check.Beetles were brought back to California, where they succeeded in saving this very important industry.

In gathering cocoons of moths, it will be frequently found that the interior is filled with a large number of small larvae or their cast-off skins.The reason for this is that an insect called an ichneumon fly, a relative of the wasps, punctured the skin of the moth larva and deposited a number of eggs.These eggs developed into small larvae which finally completely devoured the body of their host.From these larvae adult ichneumon flies develop which in turn are ready to attack other caterpillars which are injurious to vegetation.It is thought that parasitic insects like the ichneumon flies do more to keep in check the increase of injurious insects than all our artificial methods.

Epidemics among insects caused by molds or bacteria sometimes also destroy enormous numbers of them.It very frequently happens that the year in which some insect has been a pest is followed by one in which there are very few of that kind of insect.Can you suggest a reason for this?

Many species of birds live entirely on insects and others during a portion of the year subsist chiefly on insects.Many birds that are not primarily insect feeders supply a diet of insects for their young.Students of the subject estimate that birds, by destroying harmful insects, each year save crops worth many millions of dollars.

Toads, snakes, and bats are other animals that deserve protection from man because of their value in destroying injurious insects.

Science Fair Experiment- Insects Reduced by Natural Means

Present a detailed report of the pest and the pest controller (characteristics, environment and DIAGRAMS! of both) and how this controll is regulated in the environmet.Then show an example where the pest controller does not exist in an environment and what happens then to the envronment with the pest is around free.Another idea: present what happens when humans get involved and introduce species into an environment that otherwise would not existed in that environment, presenting the consequences occuring to both the other species in the envronment and the environment itself.

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