We had a wonderful day out at Marwell Zoo recently and got to watch some remarkable Leaf Cutter Ants hard at work. You all know we love insects here, but it’s normally butterflies and dragonflies that steal the limelight. Watching the ants hard at work reminded both me and my 7 year old son just how wonderful all insects can be. We’ve been reading Don’t Bug the Insects by Ben Richmond recently and it’s a great introduction to twelve of these wonderful 6 legged creatures.
Don’t Bug the Insects is published through Sterling Books and is a 28 page hardback book. It’s full of interesting facts about a range of insects including ants, silkworms and lightning bugs to name but a few.
Did you know that there are over 13,000 different species of ants? No, neither did we. We certainly watched the ants at Marwell Zoo carrying five times their own body weight as they cut up leaves and carried them home. Fascinating to watch.
Bees are a firm favourite here, and my son is used to me spending ages watching them as the fly from one flower to another pollinating as they go.
Don’t Bug the Insects is written from the insects’ point of view, which amused my 7 year old. As we meet each insect in turn we learn about them, how they help the world around them and on their impact on the human race.
When we took some of my Dad’s bug collection into school at the end of Year Two, most of the children were fascinated by the praying mantis and I can see a few of them wanting to keep one as a pet in the future. It’s also interesting to know that this insect has inspired two different martial arts with its’ movements.
My son has been a ladybird spotter for as long as I can remember but he had no idea that some ladybirds have no spots at all. Did you? Priced at £10.99 Don’t Bug the Insects provides an introduction to insects with some interesting facts.
disclosure: we were given the item mentioned in exchange for an honest review
We’ve teamed up with GMC Distribution to offer 3 lucky readers the chance to win Don’t Bug the Insects for themselves. Complete the Gleam form below for your chance to win. Good luck!
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Bumble Bees – although I don’t like to get up too close to them, I do like them because they don’t chase you like wasps and they are good for our environment and we need to look after them!
I like beetles, especially ladybirds, they are beautiful creatures.
My daughter loves ladybirds as they are cute and pretty
Love butterflies – they’re so pretty x
Spiders – they are more scared of us, I feel sorry for them
I love bees, they are so beautiful and don’t bother with people like wasps do.
Oh, dear. I know they are a key part of the ecosystem but I find them creepy. However, I grow buddleija for butterflies so I guess they would be my favourite.
Bees, without them we would be in trouble. They pollinate our food supply
I love beetles they just come in so many different colours and I love how they move
Bees the closer you get to them the more complex they are
Quite extrodinary they can fly at all the size of some of them
Bees are my favourite,I enjoy watching them on flowers and we need them.
I love bumble bees, it amazes me that when they land near you, you can stroke their fluffy bodies, and they actually let you!
I love ladybirds, they are so pretty
Caterpillars , as there is such a variety , and then of course they turn into beautiful butterflies .( two insects for the price of one )
bees ,they are very interesting
Butterflies because there are so many different colours and patterns, they are very beautiful
Caterpillars as they turn into beautiful butterflies
ladybirds because they are pretty x
I don’t have one. I hate them all.
Butterflies. They’re so pretty
I love snails, the fact they carry their shells and can whip back into them so quick when needed…and their little antennas are so cute when they pop up…like little aliens
I love bees even though I’m allergic to them – they never bother me unless I accidentally bother them first (like a mutual nonaggression pact ) so over the years I’ve become quite fond of them.
My fave insect is the dung beetle as it’s the strongest insect (& animal, for that matter) – it can pull 1,141 times its bodyweight & the males fight for females’ attention. Beside, the sight of it, moving balls of dung, makes me & my family smile ; )
my kids love pretty butterflies, ever since they were told they were sent by relatives from heaven to visit
What’s your favourite insect and why? the bumblebee as it defies the laws of aerodynamics and flies so beautifully
I like butterflies, they are so colourful.
I love ants there always busy and real team players
I like butterflies as they are so pretty
I love butterflies
My little loves spiders as he finds them fascinating to watch
catapillars its so intresting how they change into butterflys
I rather like cockroaches, theres such a variety, and they will even survive the apocalypse think I really ended up liking them after watching Joe’s Apartment a must see film
Butterflies – there is so many of them and all so pretty.
Bees because without them the world wouldn’t be so beautiful and we wouldn’t be here!
my kids love anything that makes me sqwerm, i like butterflies x
Butterflies are so colourful and beautiful, who wouldn’t love them?
Butterflies, they’re so beautiful and delicate!
Stag beetles, because they’re so impressive and rare!
Ladybird, as pretty.
I love butterflies, they are so fascinating their life cycle and so beautiful.
dragonflies they are so beautiful
bumblebee strong but cute in a way
My favourite is the Honey Bee for providing us with nature’s bounty but I have a healthy respect for the Dung Beetle. Any creature that puts up with as much xxxx as them deserve some credit after all? x
Butterflies, do they count? they’re so beautiful xx
Has to be ladybirds for me
Butterflies as they look pretty
I like Dragonflys – their pretty wings look like rainbows and I like the way they fly
I love bees, ladybirds, butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies.
Butterflies – so pretty
Butterflies because they are so pretty.
i’ve always loved spiders. i wanted a pet tarantula when i was young, but wasn’t allowed.
I like ladybirds so pretty and colourful
butterflies because they are so beautiful
I lke bees because they do such a wonderful job pollinating plants & my fruit trees
Bumble bees are my favourite because they are pretty and vital to our lives 🙂 oh and very hardworking too
ladybirds as they are pretty
I love butterflies, so many different colours and patterns!
locusts……..because they feed my beardies
Ladybirds are my favourite insect and they are becoming so rare to find now which is such a shame as they eat aphids and green fly.
I’ve always loved ladybirds so pretty x
Butterflies as they are so pretty and peaceful!
Butterflies as they are graceful
I think ladybirds
I love to take photographs of slugs.
I love ladybirds,and they are so useful in the garden.
Butterflies. So pretty and interesting to watch on flowers.
i love grasshoppers – i think they look so amazing!
Butterflies, so many beautiful types 🙂
Ants fascinate me. I’m not sure I could call them my favourite insect as I seem to spend a lot of time in the summer stopping them invading the house but they are such workers and their persistence is amazing!
I think butterflies are my favourite- them and ladybirds. I just think they’re so delicate and pretty x
Bees, whats not to like about bees?
The ladybird because it is such a pretty little thing
Caterpillars/butterflies – I just think they all look so beautiful and who doesn’t find their transformation amazing.
I like bees as they make honey, one of my favourite foods!
I like most bugs and insects but I am totally fascinated by the variety of moths so many lovely colours, I saw a vivid green one the other day it looked like a leaf amazing.
ladybirds are so pretty
I love Butterfly’s as they come in so many different shapes and sizes and they are so colourful
Butterflies, love watching them flitting from flower to flower & my 3 year old grandson says that they are sent by grandpa in the sky
I love bees because they are so important in the survival of the human race. Without bee pollination loads of foods would simply disappear.
I love woodlice, they are so funny & have their own little busy agenda!
I used to hate them and I’m still terrified of them, but I really like moths and they fascinate me now! Some of them can be so colourfil especially in other countries. If you search the hashtag #moths on instagram there are some unreal looking ones
My favourite insect is moths! They can be just as beautiful & majestic as butterflies but often get overlooked!
I love ladybirds. Not only are they really beautiful to look at they are wonderful predators, and eat all the aphids, which can damage the plants.
I love ladybirds and my children count the spots to see how old they are just like I did as a child
Caterpillars are our favourite
I love butteflies and moths, my daughter is terrifeid but I really like them, they are so pretty!
Dragonflies – So large and amazing
I love bees because they are so hard-working and help humans because they pollinate fruit and vegetables and flowers.
Ladybirds because they are so pretty
Ladybirds, they’re bright, colourful and they eat all the green flies 🙂
For me it has to be butterflies as they are so beautiful and i could look at them for hours as they amaze me.
I love butterflies the best
I love ladybirds they are so pretty
I like butterflies and moths but I am not a fan of them in their caterpillar form (I got attacked by a poisonous one on hols and since then have deffo gone off them!)
Oops I forgot to say why! I love variety of colours and patterns they have and the fact they are found all over the world
We love butterflies as they are gorgeous
I love ants and they are fascinating creatures
I love bees they’re so cute and furry and the job they do is so important
Bumble Bees!
Bees are my fav, because they are the ones who hold our whole world and existence together.
butterflys as they look so graceful
A ladybird, they’re cute!
Ladybirds – they are pretty and good for the garden
Do ladybirds count as insects? They’re so pretty.
I like butterflies because they are so colourful but delicate
Ladybirds, I was obsessed with them as a child!
Bees – they are so good for the garden.
Bees, they are so important and so fuzzy and cute
ladybirds- they are the least scary looking
The butterfly, we used to watch the caterpillar, to chysalis to butterfly, fascinating
I Love caterpillars and me and the boys love to watch them turning into butterflies 🙂
i love ladybirds they are pretty 🙂
I love ants, very admirable creatures that work hard x
Bees, because they play a hugely important role in our environmental diversity
Bees, I used to be a bee keeper
I love ladybirds as they are so pretty!
I love dragonflies x
Lady birds as we like to count their spots!
My daughter loves ants, we even have an ant farm in our house
Bumble bees the most useful insect/cresture of them all
I love bees because the do so much to help fertilise some of the food we eat. And honey bees produce honey too!
I like butterflies as I find them fascinating and beautiful x
Bubble bees there really lovely creatures and fascinating to watch. X
Ladybirds, they are gentle and pretty
Bee’s because they are lovely to watch and without them we wouldn’t have any food.
Love ladybirds as they keep my roses aphid free!
i lopve ladybirds
butterflies…they’re just so beautiful
I love bees. They are fascinating to watch. They do so much good and unlike wasps they don’t chase you around the garden!
Bees! I love their furry bodies and funny dances tey do when they find some good flowers!
Bees and butterflies as they are lovely watch and bees make yummy honey. Although, being weird as usual, I like spiders as I think they are misunderstood and at least they eat the annoying flies.
Butterflys are just fascinating
Ladybirds we used to try catching them in jars when we were little.
A worm because they are wriggly, slimy and cool my daughter says
Ladybirds, they’re very pretty
Bees because they work very hard