BUGGED FOR LIFE:
Without Insects, Humans Might Be Dead
January 19, 2026
Ever wondered about why some people warn about insects and bugs becoming extinct due to climate change? After all, aren’t we supposed to take care of human life, in the first place, as opposed to minding the extinction of critters and bugs that only irritate us?
Despite the displeasure most of us have, there are real reasons to worry about the life of insects. In fact, their extinction would cause a catastrophic impact on human life. They are essential in these aspects:
  1. The foundation of the food web that serves humans
  2. Pollination of plants and crops
  3. Decomposition of nutrient cycling
  4. Natural pest control
  5. Medical and scientific advancements
  6. Aesthetics and quality of life for humans
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THE ESSENCE
THE DETAILS
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Insect extinction is perhaps the most extensive extinctions—and, the least discussed—on Earth. Yet, insects are vital to a very large percentage of our food supply. As the climate shifts, migration of these insects also shifts, which in turn creates decline in them, and even makes too many types extinct. But, we humans need insects even just to maintain our food system. As stated by the National Geographic author S. Worrall, without bugs, we might all be dead.
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the nitty‑gritty
WHAT ARE INSECTS … and, WHAT ARE THEY NOT?
  • Insects or Pests?
    Although often used interchangeably by the average person, insects and bugs are not completely the same; and, not all annoying tiny creatures are called bugs.
  • INSECT
    A broad category of invertebrates (animals that do not have backbones).
    • There are about 30 orders of insects (each with more subcategories)
    • In total—including all subcategories—there are more than a million types of insects (some experts estimate it to be anywhere between 2 and 10 million)
    • Examples of some of the subcategories: beetles, ants, bees, true bugs (e.g stink bugs, cicadas), flies (e.g. mosquitoes, houseflies), etc.
    • Interesting: Although mosquitoes pierce the skin, and suck fluids out of the human body, just like some bugs do, they don’t belong in the same family. Mosquitoes are considered flies.
    • Interesting: Despite their names, butterflies and flies don’t belong in the same family, and not even in the same order of insects. But, both of them are insects.
    • Insects comprise about 80% or more of all known animal species in the world
    • Insects have three body parts (head, thorax, abdomen) + 6 legs + antennae
  • PEST
    Not a subcategory of any type of animals. The word ‘pest’ describes a relationship with humans, which causes harm, nuisance, or damage.
    • Any organism can be a pest to humans
      • The smallest pests are among the insects
      • Some of the largest pests are large animals, such as boars or deer
      • Even humans can be pests to other humans, as humans are also organisms and are also animals
        • Both animals and humans are classified within the kingdom of ‘Animalia’ in the taxonomy of organisms, and are also in some of the same subcategories
    • Not all organisms, and not all insects are pests because not all of them are harmful to humans
    • Even some of those insects that are harmful or annoying to humans are oftentimes more beneficial than the annoyance they cause … because their activities contribute to sustaining the human food supply system
    • There isn’t always a clear line between an animal being a pest or not because the line between their useful and harmful activities might be blurred. Their classification as pest also depends on whether they are considered within an agricultural land context or within local residential dwelling.
  • QUESTION:
    So, why should we care about insects and small creatures becoming extinct, and why should we even take steps to ensure that they stay alive? After all, some of them are pests, causing harm to us humans, not to mention the annoyance.
    ANSWER:
    Because, even though, some of them are pests to us, they might also benefit us in more significant ways than the damage or annoyance they cause. And significantly, because many of them are not pests at all, but serve purposes that are literally vital for humans’ survival.
    • THE WAYS (most) INSECTS ARE VITAL FOR THE SURVIVAL OF HUMANS
  • FOOD PRODUCTION
    & THE FOOD WEB for HUMANS
    • Insects create the biological foundation for all terrestrial ecosystems
    • Their primary role in the food supply chain is pollination
    • About 75% of flowering plants, and 35% of all crops rely partially or wholly on insect pollination ⟹ The whole global human society is vulnerable to loss of insects
    • Reduced population of insects ⟹ Fruit, vegetable, nuts, and other crops are threatened or can collapse ⟹ Threatens food security for humans
    • THE FOOD WEB: Insects pollinate certain plants, then
      • some of those pollinated plants directly become food for humans (e.g. vegetables, fruits, corn, wheat, etc.)
      • other of those pollinated plants feed other species, such as animals ⟹ which then become food for humans
  • DECOMPOSITION, NUTRIENT CYCLING, SOIL HEALTH
    • Insects break down dead organic matter (such as decaying or fallen plants, leaves, trees, animals, or waste) ⟹ They return the vital nutrients from these decaying matter into the soil ⟹ The soil becomes nutrient‑rich and fertile to support new plant life ⟹ New plants grow, and new animals are fed ⟵ This cycle maintains the critical continuity of food production for humans
  • CRITICAL FOOD SOURCE FOR VARIOUS ANIMALS
    • Insects are the food for many animals, such as birds or fish or even mammals
    • Decline of insects ⟹ Decline of food for those animals ⟹ Decline of animals that serve as food for humans ⟹ Decline in the food supply for humans ⟹ Decline in human nourishment
  • NATURAL PEST CONTROL
    • Some of the insects are natural predators of agricultural pests (e.g. ladybugs eat greenflies or blackflies that suck nutrients out of plants meant to be food for humans)
    • In other words, some of the beneficial insects eat harmful insects to prevent our food supply from being weakened
    • This process by the beneficial insects also reduces the need for using chemical (i.e. harmful) pesticides to protect our food crops
  • SCIENTIFIC- and MEDICAL ADVANCEMENTS
    • Compounds derived from insects have led to the development of new medical treatments and drugs
  • ECONOMIC BENEFITS: INSECTS PROVIDE FREE ‘CLEANUP SERVICES’
    • Some of the insects are waste-loving (such as beetles, flies, etc.), which means that they clean up faeces, preventing it from building up in pastures, which in turn improves soil health and controls pests.
    • This free ‘cleanup service’ also saves massive amounts of money in every economy of the world
  • AESTHETICS & QUALITY OF LIFE FOR HUMANS
    • Some of the insects, such as butterflies or beetles, contribute to the beauty of our environment
    • THE REASONS FOR CONCERN ABOUT INSECT EXTINCTION
  • FACTS ABOUT INSECT DECLINE
    • About 40% of insect species are in decline or could die out in the coming decades
    • If insect decline is not stopped and reaches enough of a decline, entire ecosystems and agriculture could collapse and die due to starvation … with cascading effects on the food security for humans
    • As an example, insect abundance declined by 75% in a protected part of Germany within just 27 years
    • 30-50% of certain insects globally today are threatened with extinction in the coming decades
  • DEGRADATION or DESTRUCTION OF INSECT HABITATS—and THEIR CAUSES
    • Many insects have very specific habitat or host plant requirements. As human activity harms or destroys those habitats, the insects are also destroyed with them.
    • Urbanization, erecting new buildings, industrial agricultural practices, deforestation, draining of wetlands and swamps, and other forms of exploitation of natural resources (in other words, human activities) degrade habitats and entire ecosystems ⟹ Insects die, and whole species can become extinct
    • Use of artificial pesticides ⟹ Contaminates entire plants, and causes paralysis or death of insects ⟹ Poisons or eliminates the necessary pollination of the plants by insects
      • Artificial esticides also leach into the water and soil ⟹ Damages the soil and our food supply
    • Climate change: Many insects cannot adpt to the changing climate
      • Hotter climate ⟹ The natural nesting and pollination timing of insects are thrown out of sync ⟹ Due to these mismatched seasonal clues, some insects emerge too early or too late compared to when the plants are ready to be pollinated
    • Light‑ and sound pollution disorients insects, deterring them from reaching the plants to pollinate
    • Chemical pollution by industries impacts water‑, air‑, and soil health, as well as insects ⟹ Impacts the crop ⟹ Impacts the food supply for humans
  • ECONOMIC
    • The estimated financial benefit insects provide through their ‘services’ listed above are estimated to be around $57‑70 billion annually, just in the United States alone.
      • ⟶ next
      • ⟵ back
      • ⟹ consequently
      • ⟸ as said before
    EXPAND ALL COLLAPSE ALL
WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?
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PLANT NATIVE PLANTS IN YOUR LOCATION
Native plants provide seeds, nectar, and pollen that native insects can consume, while non‑native plants oftentimes can not provide the sufficient nutrients for the local insects.
Allowing nature to have its workings in your lawn or garden (as opposed to making it perfectly manicured), this space can contribute to insect conservation. (Yet, this does not encourage neglect.)
KEEP YOUR LAWN OR GARDEN IMPERFECT
SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE AND WORKINGS OF INSECTS
Tell a friend, tell the family, tell everybody who will listen.
Instead of allowing technological inventions to overtake all natural ecological processes, lobby policymakers to enact insect‑friendly laws. After all, about 80 percent of our food supply relies on them.
BE AN ADVOCATE FOR ENACTING INSECT‑FRIENDLY POLICIES
SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ADVOCATE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
Your support of particular organizations contributes—either directly or through advocacy—to the health of the Earth, the conservation of insects, and to the conservation of the food supply and lives of humans
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