The Original Social Network

     When you think social the first bug that comes to mind is the ant.  There are many kinds of ants that share one thing- that they work together to ensure the safety of the colony.  They use a series of chemical signals to communicate.  It is like their alphabet.  Sometimes, an ant goes out looking for food and leaves a trail of chemicals so that the colony can follow them and retrieve the food.  This continues until an obstacle gets in the way.  Then they find a new route to the food.  When the food source is depleted, they repeat the cycle.
   
     They also use chemicals to alert other ants.  When an ant is squashed, it  sends an alarm chemical to alert other ants to attack.  This chemical also makes enemies that are attacking the colony attack each other.
                                                                               

                                                                              

     Ants are also social with other insects.  They provide shelter for aphids in exchange for honeydew- a by-product of the tree sap they eat.  The ants also herd caterpillars so that they could help them find food and make honeydew.  In exchange, they provide shelter for it and give them any larvae to eat.

                                                                                 

     Not all ants are social.  Some ants, such as the bulldog ant, are solitary.  They hunt by themselves and seldom work together. 

     I think that ants are the most social creatures out there.  They work together to let the colony thrive.  They only think about the other members of the colony.  I think that if we work together like ants do, the world will be a better place. 



http://www.wikipedia.org/
http://theedublogger.com/2010/11/12/share-your-blogging-experience-and-win-big/

"Wood" You Want Termites?

     Termites are the translucent insects that are notorious for causing damage to wooden structures.  Although they mainly eat soil, grass or other kinds of wood, they eat dry wood- the wood mostly used in making houses.  They also eat paper, cloth, and carpet.
     There are different kinds of termites in a colony.  There are queens, kings (males), soldiers, and workers.  The queens are female termites that have flown, mated, and are producing eggs.  A king is a male who has mated, flown and stays with the queen.  There may be multiple pairs of mating termites.  Worker termites retrieve food for the colony, store the food, and maintain the nest.  They are responsible for the digestion of celluse (the plant matter in the 'foods' above) with special enzymes.  The soldiers, are the defense of the colony.  They have enlarged jaws, larger heads and are blind.  They use their large heads to block tunnels from intruding, use their jaws to bite at ants and shoot a 'glue' at the ants.
     Termites are social creatures that live in mounds of dirt or in nests.  The mounds provide shade in hot climates.
     As you can see, termites are amazing organisms that work together to maintain a colony-wide bond.  Maybe we can learn from their behavior.

Information courtesy of http://www.wikipedia.com/

Lyme Disease

     Lyme disease is transmitted through ticks.  The infected tick carries a corkscrew-shaped bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto.  That is the bacteria that causes most cases of Lyme disease in the U.S., but is caused by bacteria of the sane genus in Europe.  Lyme disease causes headaches, chills, fever, fatigue, joint aches, swollen lymph nodes, and the infamous bulls eye rash.  Most people experience these symptoms in a matter of weeks.  If left untreated, this disease can affect your joints and your nervous system.

     Lyme disease was named after the town of Lyme, Connecticut because the first case of Lyme disease in 1975 was reported there.  The cause of Lyme disease remained a mystery until William Borgdofer found the cause in 1982.
     Lyme disease is a very serious illness but can prevented.  The easiest way to prevent Lyme disease is to wear lightly colored clothes that cover your whole body while in the woods.  You should also wear 100% deet tick repellent when doing activities outside.  Lyme disease is a terrible disease that can be avoided, so follow these tips and you can save yourself the trouble.   

http://www.wikipedia.com/

Mosquitoes Bite

     Mosquitoes are the fascinating insects that we are all guilty of swatting.  There are over 3,500 species of mosquitoes worldwide.  That's more swats than you can count.  Like most bugs, they have 4 stages of development.  They spend the first three stages of their lives as eggs, larvae, and  then pupae that develop in 4 to 15 days in still water like puddles.  After the pupa hatches into an adult, it lives about  another 4 to 8 weeks as a mosquito.

    

     Mosquitoes are infamous for biting people and spreading diseases such as the West Nile Virus and Yellow Fever.  Even though all mosquitoes carry diseases, only the female mosquito bite humans and other mammals.  The only reason they bite people is so that they can get extra nutrients such as iron and protein.  Mosquitoes are an important part of the ecosystem.  Guppies, bats, and dragonflies eat them to survive.  So next time you kill a mosquito, think twice about the affect it has on the environment.

http://www.wikipedia.com/