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From pests to pollinators, insects make an impact.

Few groups of animals touch our lives like the insects. Beneficial insects are at the foundation of the world’s ecosystems. Our agriculture is both dependent on insect pollination and vulnerable to insect attack. We are indebted to the insects and the services they provide, and yet we must spend billions to control the handful of insect species that are hazardous to our health, crops, and natural environment. For better and worse, we live in an insect world.

What's That Bug? How to Identify Insects

Have you ever spotted an insect and wondered what type of insect it was? Insects are all around us and play important roles in our ecosystems. Explore how to identify different groups of insects commonly found in Illinois.

 

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Don't judge all bugs with the same lens.
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Only 1% to 3% of insect species are harmful. That leaves a lot of bugs that help humans by preying on pests and pollinating plants. Do you know which are which? Before you squash that bug under your foot, check Extension's Beneficial Insect website. Nearly a third of the food we eat needs a pollinator's help to grow. Ensure you're doing all you can to protect life's helpful insects.

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Save the planet, help a pollinator

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Pollinators are a group of amazing insects that are vital to both plant life and human life on earth. In recent years, pollinator populations have been declining dramatically which has prompted an immediate need for their protection and perpetuation on the landscape. 

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Be the hero a pollinator needs

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