What is the difference between pest and insects?
Many have found it difficult to classify whether an animal is an insect or a pest. Insect plays an important role in the ecosystem.
They assist in the pollination hence enabling the plants to reproduce. Pests destroy crops and hence they are not helpful in the ecosystem.
The main difference between pests and insects is that pests are small creatures that are notorious for destroying crops, food, causing diseases, and attacking livestock while insects are small creatures that can either be beneficial or can be pests. The beneficial insects are important in pollination.
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Comparison Table (Pest vs Insect)
| Characteristics | Pests | Insects |
| Meaning | They are small creatures that are notorious for destroying crops, food, causing diseases, and attacking livestock. | They are small creatures that can either be insect pests or beneficial insects. |
| Appearance | They can be vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, and other insects. | They have a head, thorax, abdomen, a pair of antennae, two pairs of wings, and six legs. |
| Effects | They are destructive. | Beneficial insects play a role in the ecosystem. |
| Control | They are controlled by pesticides. | They are controlled by insecticides. |
| Examples | Mites, ticks, mosquitoes, bedbugs, lice, termites. | Honeybee, wasp, ladybird, spider, and sting birds. |
What is Pest?
Pests are small creatures that are destructive and notorious. They are known to destroy crops, food, causing diseases, and attacking animals.
They are of three classes. The invertebrates which transmit diseases. They include; mosquitoes, thrips, and flies.
Parasites depend on other organisms for food and shelter. They include; bedbugs and lice. Then the damage-causing pests include the termites.
On the farm, the pests destroy plants making farmers run at a loss. They hinder the production of crops leading to economic loss.
Farmers result in the use of pesticides to control the pests on the farm. However, the substance in the pest can be harmful to humans and other animals around.
Due to that, farmers are advised to use natural ways of doing away with the pests. The methods include; biological ways, use of traps, and cultural practices.
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What is an Insect?
Insects are small creatures that can either be classified as beneficial insects or pest insects. The beneficial ones play an important role in the ecosystem.
They fall under the family of arthropods. They have segmented bodies that are head, thorax, and abdomen, they have a pair of antennae, two pairs of wings, and six legs.
Some insects are classified as pests because of their pest behavior. Beneficial insects assist in pollination hence playing a vital role in reproduction.
Examples of beneficial insects include; honey bees, sting bugs, ladybirds, spiders, and wasps. They live nearly in all habitats hence they are found all over the world.
When they infest an area, they are controlled by the use of chemicals. Insect pests can be controlled by other insects of parasitic or predatory nature.
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Main Differences between Pests and Insects
- Pests are small destructive creatures while insects are small beneficial creatures.
- Pests can either be vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, or other insects while insects are arthropods.
- Pests are controlled by pesticides while insects are controlled by insecticides.
- Pest is small notorious creatures that are known for destroying crops, food, causing diseases, and attacking livestock while insects are small creatures that can either be beneficial or insect pests.
Similarities between Pest and Insect
- They are both small creatures.
- They both can feed on plant matter or animals.
In Conclusion
The names of pests and insects have been used interchangeably but the two are quite different from each other.
Pests are small creatures that are notorious for destroying crops, food, causing diseases, and attacking animals while insects are small creatures that can either be beneficial or insect pests.
Pests destroy farmer’s crops leading to economic loss while insects play a vital role in pollination hence facilitating reproduction.
The main feature that makes pests different from insects is their effect.
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