40 per cent insect species are declining, a third are endangered. 

Water storage vessels like bottles, drums and pots should be cleaned and kept covered... Use mosquito nets. Don't wear clothes that expose your hands and legs and use a mosquito repellent cream.

The food we eat comes from various sources, among them, plants are the largest group of souces and our primary food producers. Can you think of the food items we get from plants?

"Oh, my God! Mummy, there is a snake in the house.” "I am dead and yuck!” I heard the desperate cries of my two daughters, Badki and Chutki. Alarmed, I ran towards the room from where I could hear their voices, to check whether it was actually a snake in the house or something else. As soon as I crossed the threshold of the room I spotted three earthworms wriggling in through the space between the main door and its frame, into the house. My younger daughter Chutki was calling it a snake and the older one Badki was so scared to see them that the glass fell from her hand and broke!

The 'buzzy' bees are best at their pollination jobs but they are all set to face serious competition from other insects. According to a new study, insects like flies, wasps, butterflies, moths, ants, thrips and beetles are also effective pollinators of certain crops of global importance. These insects have an added advantage too—they are resistant and less sensitive to environmental changes, scientists say.

Have you ever tried trekking through treacherous terrian and tried to take short cuts to reduce the time and effort it takes to reach your destination? It turns out army ants are really good at mapping out the most efficient route for themselves.