When you’re relaxing on your porch and a spider suddenly drops on you from above, your natural reaction might be to jump up in panic. Finding a pile of ants congregating in your kitchen or maggots squirming in your fruit bowl are also distasteful and horrifying sights. But why is this? They are living creatures just like a cat or a dog and humans love those, so why are we so disgusted by insects who are also living creatures? As said by the entomologist Jeffrey A. Lockwood, “No one is neutral about insects. A few of us have a debilitating horror about them and a very few of us love them.” There are a few scientific and rational reasons why insects spark a natural and unconscious loathing in us.
5 Reasons Humans Are So Disgusted With Bugs
1. Unpredictable and jerky movements
Instinctively, humans prefer to associate with things that have a fair amount of predictability. Most insects fly fast or swerve, jerk and jump in random directions. This can cause some unease if an insect has ever flown straight at you because instantly your body reacts, thus causing an adrenaline surge, even if there is no danger.
2. Poisonous and disease carrying
Insects bite, sting and do anything they can if they feel threatened. If you are the threat, you could experience pain. Nearly every human has been on the receiving end of an insect bite or sting. This is one reason humans naturally are untrusting of bugs. Some can hurt you. They can also transmit harmful bacteria and diseases so keeping your distance is smart.
3. Strange behaviors and appearance
There are millions of insects in the world and it is very likely that the first time you happen upon an unusual variety, they might look alarming. You might wonder initially if they are dangerous. Some insects make unnerving sounds, others might look disgusting and the mere fact that there are bugs who eat their partner after mating might give you the creeps.
4. Negative connotation
A few insects simply remind of negative situations or something filthy. Take flies for instance. These insects swarm around garbage, dead and rotting carcasses and excrement. The mere sight of them makes you think of something putrid.
5. Social conditioning
In cultures where people eat insects as a way of life, they may not have the same fear we have. They view bugs as a benefit to their life and gobble them up like candy. And why not? They’re full of protein and many are quite beneficial to a daily diet. Most children in the United States however, grow up seeing their parents panic when a bug comes to close or fighting the uphill battle of a pest free home. It’s only logical they would grow up also learning that bugs are bad and gross.
Your fears are normal
If you fear insects, it’s 100% normal. While they are extremely beneficial for our ecosystem, finding them in your house is definitely not okay. When you need roach control in Chantilly or any other kind of pest control, Green Pest Services is there for you. Getting your home completely pest free is our goal, so call us today.