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The Surprising History Of Insects In Warfare
Jun 01, 2021
Bee-On-Flower

How Bugs Have Been Used As Weapons

A pest infestation in or near our home can have devastating effects on our health, comfort, and security. In some ways, we might even feel like we are under attack. After all, it is easy to compare the experience with warfare, as eradicating an invading horde of insects really is a battle (and one that no homeowner can afford to lose). Thus, it should come as no surprise that insects have been intentionally utilized as biological weapons in actual warfare from practically the beginning of time. Yes, it’s true! People have used bugs as weapons against other people throughout the ages, and very effectively, too.

The Three Different Ways Insects Have Been Used In War 
There are essentially three different ways that bugs have been used in war:
  1. Through Direct Attacks. Insects like bees, wasps, hornets, scorpions, and their nests were literally hurled at enemies to invoke fear and inflict pain, torment, injury, and emotional stress.
  2. To Disburse Diseases. Bugs carrying dangerous pathogens such as plague, cholera, typhoid, yellow fever, and much more were spread in targeted areas to cause illness and death through zoonotic infection.
  3. To Destroy Crops. Insects were used to destroy crops and critical food supplies, a tactic used to target general populations and enemy troops.
Examples Of Entomological Warfare Throughout History
  • From the Bible – A biblical reference in the Old Testament states, “I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out...” - Joshua 24:12.
  • Ancient Rome – Ancient historian Herodian tells the tale of how the Roman emperor Septimius Severus attempted but failed to gain control of Mesopotamia (a key locale in trade routes) towards the end of the 2nd century. He was thwarted by the Persian King Barsamia, who had earthenware pots stuffed with scorpions launched at the marauding Roman soldiers as they reached the perimeter walls of their desert stronghold in Hatra. After 20 futile days of stinging bombardment, Severus and his men gave up and retreated.
  • Medieval Europe – Bee “bombing” is likely the oldest method of insect warfare. Slingshots and catapults were used to turn hives into missiles. This tactic was so prevalent that medieval castles were commonly fitted with bee boles, recesses in the interior walls where bees were kept not only for honey but also for battle. This military strategy was further advanced in the 14th century when a windmill-type device was invented to propel hives from rapidly spinning arms (sort of a predecessor to the Gatling gun). These were even used on the high seas, where bee bombs proved to be extremely effective at clearing the deck of an enemy ship.
  • The Black Death – Also in the 14th century, a biological attack on the Crimean city of Kaffa utilizing cholera-infected fleas had far-reaching effects—many historians suspect that the Black Death in the mid-1300s that so devastated Europe likely began with refugees from Kaffa carrying the disease.
  • From 19th-Century Bukhara (which is now Uzbekistan) – A famously sadistic ruler named Nasrullah Bahadur Khan used a prison torture pit that the locals called the Black Well. This was a deep hole in the ground that Bahadur-Khan filled with insects to torment his victims, including, most notably, assassin bugs, a carnivorous beetle that feeds on human flesh.
  • World War II – The Japanese infected fleas and flies with cholera and then dropped them on China, resulting in the death of approximately 440,000 Chinese citizens. Meanwhile, both France and Germany developed a program that would utilize the Colorado Potato Beetle to devastate the food supplies of enemy crops, although those plans never came to fruition. However, it is widely believed that the Germans tested their program just south of Frankfort, where an infestation occurred.
  • Vietnam War – The Viet Cong used a series of underground passages called the Cu Chi Tunnels to orchestrate their attacks, which were frequently explored by American troops. They planted numerous booby traps within those tunnels, not just the things you might expect like tripwires and grenades, but also bug-loaded “bombs” filled with scorpions, spiders, rats, and ants. They were a highly effective deterrent. The Viet Cong were also known to use the Asian Giant Honeybee, one of the most ferocious stinging insects on earth, as part of their strategy. They would attach an explosive to a hive and wait for enemy troops to approach, then detonate the explosive remotely, sending the bees into a frenzied attack.
The War At Home
Of course, the above examples are only a few of many. Insect weaponization has been pursued and perpetrated by countries around the globe, including the United States and our allies and enemies alike. In truth, entomological warfare was outlawed internationally by the Biological and Toxic Weapons Convention of 1972, but, frankly, we can easily surmise that it may still be occurring in secret, and we are bound to see further developments in this field in the future. In the meantime, the “damage has been done,” so to speak. Some of the infestations that homeowners experience today could potentially trace their roots to human insect weaponization attempts in the past.

Either way, a bug problem is a bug problem. If you’ve got one, call At Ease Pest Solutions LLC. As a veteran-owned and operated company, rest assured that’s one battle we know how to win.
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