Farmers, Pests and Helpers: teacher key

Bugs That Clean Up, grade 6 edition, written for 6th grade. Some tiny bugs farm fungus, some turn waste into soil booster, and some are both pests and helpers. Read how each one earns its place.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. What do leafcutter ants eat?
   • The leaves they cut
   • The fungus they grow (answer)
   • Dung
2. How many ants can the largest leafcutter colonies hold?
   • Over 800
   • Over 80 thousand
   • Over 8 million (answer)
3. What do farmers use frass for?
   • A soil booster (answer)
   • A tool for cutting leaves
   • A food for adult flies
4. Why are termites called both pests and helpers?
   • They bite people but also sing
   • They eat wood people want in houses, but break down dead wood in nature (answer)
   • They live in houses and also in water
5. How is a millipede different from a centipede?
   • A millipede is a fast hunter
   • A millipede eats only live roots
   • A millipede is slow and eats rotting plants (answer)

Words

• fungus: mold-like life
• colony: bug group
• larvae: young bugs
• frass: bug droppings
• pests: unwanted bugs