If Ants Were As Big As Poodles

~ beetleypete

The photo above is of a ‘Murder Hornet’. I read this about them yesterday.
‘Huge ‘murder hornets’ capable of killing humans have invaded the US’.

It’s pretty big, we can all see that. But what if it was as as big as a pigeon? Then imagine hundreds of them swarming around on a hot day. It’s a lucky escape for humans that insects are tiny in comparison to us. If ants were as big as dogs, even small dogs like poodles, they would have wiped out the human race a very long time ago, I’m sure.

Even the smallest insects kill tens of thousands of us every year. Take the mosquito spreading malaria, or locusts wiping out crops, leading to starvation for many. By combining into huge swarms, or living in city-sized colonies, insects prove that there is strength in numbers.

If humble houseflies were as big as oranges, just think how miserable our life would be. Something so easily dealt with by swatting, fly spray, or even a rolled up newspaper would suddenly become a whole different ball game. And think of dragonflies as big as eagles, swooping down on us. Or perhaps don’t think about that, as it’s too terrible to contemplate.

Spiders are not insects, but if they were as big as dustbin lids, we might all be in a lot of trouble. One of those in the bath wouldn’t be easy to flush down the drain by running the hot tap. And getting trapped in their web would be the end of you, undoubtedly. And if wasps were the size of Havana Cigars, the idea of a country picnic woud never have even been invented.

Gardens would probably not exist if aphids were as big as a lemon. Try washing them away with a spray of soapy water. Not going to happen. And if bees were the size of grapefruits, forget getting anyhere near their honey.

So evolution worked out pretty well for us, didn’t it?

77 thoughts on “If Ants Were As Big As Poodles”

    1. That’s a good theory, but they used to be a lot bigger in prehistoric times, apparenly. The largest ones today, like the Rhinocerous Beetle, are well-protected by armour because they are much more vulnerable to predators. I like to think evolution made insects smaller to give them ‘safety in numbers’. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  5. We have Asian maize beetles here, which are much more aggressive than the native maize beetles. Hard to believe that our German beetles are not aggressive enough. Lol Best wishes, Michael
    By the way: Some of these Murder Hornets could do a great job for me. 😉

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  6. What if we all tinkered with teleportation like Jeff Goldblum did in “The Fly”?
    There are plenty of movies that feature large insects. One of my favorites is “Eight Legged Freaks.” But you probably wouldn’t want to watch it, as it stars a young Scarlett Johansson. (Wink! Wink!)

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  7. While it has been well over 1/2 century since I took a biology class, as I recall, insect size is largely determined (restricted) by their trachea tubes–you, now their oxygen input tubes. Warmest regards, Theo

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      1. However, with only two appearing in Washington and a nest destroyed in Vancouver, the ‘invasion’ has been over-hyped. Invasive species have their evolutionary controls – until humans interfere. Japanese bees know how to deal with these hornets – by over-heating them: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/bizarre-bee-havior-in-the-battle-against-the-giant-hornet-129395782/

        Maybe we are the species invading the natural world – encroaching on the wilderness.

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          1. That’s the problem with invasive species whether hornets, bluebells, squirrels, crayfish, or human settlers, they thrive at the expense of the native species. And trying to deal with them in the wrong way can backfire – rabbits and myxomatosis in Australia.

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  12. I have to admit the thought of a 2 inch long killer hornet freaks me out! It’s hard to even look at the picture! Especially since a couple of them have been found in Washington State, though further north of Seattle. I hope they can be stopped. It would be devastating if they wiped out our honey bees. 😦

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        1. Sadly, it is two one day, twenty the next. Then they slip south from Canada… We had the same story here with the Asian Hornet. One day an oddity, next thing I know, in my garden. Prepare!
          Best wishes, Pete.

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  15. “So evolution worked out pretty well for us, didn’t it?”

    Corona might change that. And, btw, I’ve held for a long time the conviction that it was a bad day for the world when our ancestors came down from the trees.

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    1. Sharma. A word of advice. Posting a link to your blog and asking someone to follow is NOT how blogging works. It is not Facebook, or Twitter. If you want to become part of a blogging community, you have to leave proper comments, build a following, and accept that happens slowly. I wish you good luck with your blogging, but I have removed your link. Think about not doing this in future.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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