Pathfinders: Insects and spiders

Reader's Digest Pathfinders

Insects and Spiders

Don't swat that bug -- It just might be your friend. There are literally billions of multi-legged flyers, swimmers, and crawlers out there. Some eat plants. Some eat other insects...and that's a good thing, or we'd be swimming in a sea of them! They may be small, but their sheer numbers mean insects and spiders have a huge impact on our world. And you're about to get personal with some of them in Insects and Spiders.

Did you know that if it weren't for beetles that eat dung and decaying bodies, our world would be a very smelly place? Or that most spiders are really good guys -- their appetite for insects such as cockroaches, wasps, and flies makes them nature's pest control experts? Read on for a completely new perspective on the world around you. Get the "Inside Story" on what insects and spiders do for us, or try the "Hands On" projects for tips on tracking down insects that crawl through your backyard. You can read up on a favorite topic, and then jump straight to a related yet different one.