Let’s have a little fun, a little learning and a little YIKES! today with the GNAT:

Let’s get right to the YIKES! part of the Gnat… there are many kinds of Gnats and all of them are pests.

The word Gnat categorizes the many kinds of tiny, flying insects from the Diptera family, which is one of the largest insect orders in the world.  Diptera is a Greek word meaning di + ptera = two wings.  The common house-fly and the mosquito are both part of this Diptera family.

Some common Gnats are the Black Fly, Eye Gnat, Sand Gnat, Midge, Blowfly, Punkie, Gall Gnat, Fungus Gnat and Noseeum, in addition to the House-Fly and Mosquito.

The term Noseeum comes from the way the Gnat sneaks in just about anywhere, unseen because of its tiny size.  Think about this for a moment… no-see-um!  Get it?

The one time Gnats are very visible is when the males travel in a group of other male Gnats, usually at dusk.  Together, this swarm of male Gnats creates a presence called a cloud or a ghost.

Don’t wait until you walk into a ghost of Gnats with your kids or grandkids to get into the intricacies of the Diptera family.  Let the kids in on the blood-sucking nature of these pests (in most cases, the female of the species is the blood-sucker).

Give your kids and grandkids a real YIKES! by telling them that the Eye Gnat lives off the eye fluid of animals, and that the larvae of the Midge is called a blood worm.   Can you say, YIKES!

Do your own research and investigation of the Gnat in all of its forms.  Your research may include how to get rid of them!

Join me here each day in June for JUNE BUGS on 365 Days of Literacy for Kids! Get your kids and grandkids thinking, learning, having fun and saying YIKES!