Insects—Blessing or a Curse?

If you’ve ever visited Dr. Crawley’s Insectorium at the Creation Museum, you have “met” Dr. Arthur Pod, but if not, an introduction is in order. Dr. Pod sits at his work area in the last room of the insect exhibit, ready to answer your questions about insects. Well, certain questions. You see, he is a very realistic animatronic figure, and you choose your topic from a list on a touchscreen.

Why did God make insects? Well in the beginning, before sin entered the world, it was probably primarily to pollinate plants, aerate the soil and other such tasks; and all insects were vegetarian. But after the Fall, insects took on some new roles. In light of the Fall and in order to answer this question, Dr. Pod draws a picture of life without insects. It would be a smelly and dirty world. Dung beetles, flies, and many other six-legged janitors eagerly clean up tons and tons of stinky stuff—animal waste, carcasses of dead animals, and more. Without insects, it would pile up!

But that’s not all. Picture a world with a very limited food supply for both people and animals. Insects pollinate many of the crops we eat, and many animals dine on the insects themselves, which are high in protein and provide a nutritious food source.

Insects fulfill numerous other roles in our world, far too many to list here. The Creator certainly did not create them to “bug” us!

Next time you are at the museum, take some time to visit with Dr. Pod. You might be surprised at the amazing information you learn—and keep an eye out for Goliath, his rogue robotic beetle!