Emily Depew

Insects and Human Society

4/16/2013
A World Without Insects
A world without insects One may immediately think, Lovely, a
day by the lake with no pesky mosquitoes! I was ignorant in the
beginning. I was hopeful for the human race, pleased to see the vector
of many debilitating and fatal diseases eradicated. I reveled in being
able to camp in the mountains of Maine in August without a bug net,
or even a can of OFF! bug spray. Native berries were weighing down
their brambles, and the wild flowers were as beautiful as Id ever seen
them all thanks to the presence of insects in the spring and early
summer.
Soon, autumns sweet song on the wind began to shake brittle
leaves down. They littered the earth, like playbills in an empty theatre.
There they would stay, with no detritus-feeding insects to recycle the
nutrients back into the soil. Animals waste and eventually corpses, in
addition to plant materials, were cluttering the earths surface and
overwhelming our senses. The physical weathering of wind and water,
with some bacterial assistance, was no match for the decomposing
power of insects. Our forests, farmland, and countryside soon became
a near wasteland; while cities spent millions on garbage disposal.
However, landfills were overflowing. Over the course of a few months,
society was crumbling around us. Daily, our lives became more and
more unreal.
The chain grocery stores went out of business; suppliers were
unable to meet demand. Global agricultural trade essentially shut
down. Small convenience stores quickly sold out of perishables, and
then canned foods became a valuable bartering token. Some crops
were still being grown on a relatively large scale; mostly wheat,
barley, and oats. We had limited but accessible sources of protein
thanks to peanuts and soybeans self-pollinating flowers. As a
Horticulture major, I realized the danger of continued plant inbreeding.
And, as a foodie, I saw the potential for many deficiencies within our
highly limited diets. Folks who lacked a balanced diet before the
springs tragedy were already becoming anemic and nutrient deficient.
We started to see children eating soil to calm their cravings. After a
lazy and insect-free summer plucking juicy fruit from the now
endangered vine, I felt like the irresponsible character in Aesops fable
of the diligent ant and the dawdling grasshopper. I have been
employed by various greenhouses over the years, so as fall turned to
winter and my thoughts turned to spring, I contacted my past
employers begging for their help and for the opportunity to help them.

Emily Depew
Insects and Human Society
4/16/2013
Due to the past year without insects, almost all stores were
completely out of supplies. We banded together. As soon as spring
allowed us, my friends and I began guerilla gardening. The death and
dying all around us had wreaked havoc on almost every aspect of our
lives, therefore suicide rates spiked. We took over abandoned farms
that were left empty due to hopelessness and death. We found and
pirated a perfect site for our compound with a large plantation-style
home, multiple outbuildings, a small greenhouse, a sizeable barn, and
plenty of pastoral land. We started seeds (thankfully we were all hobby
gardeners with small seed stocks in our homes and offices) in this
greenhouse, and then focused on growing self-pollinating food crops
outside - hoping the wind would help spread pollen grains. With this
plan and our education to guide us, we cultivated tomatoes, peppers,
eggplants, some beans and peas, as well as greens (lettuce, endive,
cabbage, broccoli, kohlrabi). Strawberries were one of the few
delicacies left in our bland world.
Agricultural animals werent worth the effort at this point. Almost
everyone became vegetarian (vegan, really, considering the loss of
accessible dairy, etc.) out of necessity and societies fought for proteinrich legumes. We tried cultivating some fish on a small scale, using
fish foods purchased or stolen from local farm supply stores. Most
commercial fish foods today contain fishmeal and fish oil combined
with vegetable proteins, cereal grains, vitamins and minerals. After a
brief experiment with aquaculture, we ultimately determined that the
feed was just as nutritious, with far less input on our part though, at
this stage, was nonrenewable.
By taking over an abandoned farmstead in my native southwest
Virginia, we had formed a small self-sufficient colony of about 15
friends and loved ones. Our group contained a few young children,
mostly young adults, and a handful of middle-aged men and women.
We were all able-bodied, hard workers. Life was demanding, but we
were surviving. We stopped almost all communication with the outside
world because we were afraid of the savages that desire had created.
We wanted to educate the public, but could not afford to share. So we
stayed quiet about our small successes, although it tugged at our
heartstrings and consciences.
We buried our dead, including animals that passed away on our
property, in an attempt to hold on to our civilization. We were still
alive and we were still human. Once our food supply was stabilized, we
had the opportunity to begin cultivating grapes and tobacco for
recreational use. Once we succeeded in viticulture and some winemaking, many struggled with alcoholism. We worked so hard, all the

Emily Depew
Insects and Human Society
4/16/2013
time. Our lives became much like that of Americas pioneers. As more
time passed, I longed for last years lackadaisical summer.
However, we lived and loved, and therefore there was a little
one on the way. We were all terrified for our dear friend, pregnant in
such a terrifying and transitional world. As far as we knew, the fossil
fuels had been used up. We assumed there were no functional
hospitals. There was no way for us to be sure though, we didnt travel
farther than we could on foot and we had lost communication with the
real world.
Each night was filled with fear. We guarded our successes and
feared for our lives. Our lives became more and more unimaginable
each day, especially as our friends belly grew. We did not know how
to console her, so we just lived day by day it was all we could do,
since the future was so unsure.
I found a book in this old farmhouse, which was great
consolation. Then I read a quote from a revered biologist, E.O. Wilson.
He said, If all mankind were to disappear, the world would regenerate
back to the rich state of equilibrium that existed ten thousand years
ago. If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into
chaos. I knew he was right. I was full of anxiety every day, wondering
what the next repercussion would be. And that was all we could do:
wonder.