Insects aren't everyone's favorite animals, especially when it comes to those such as cockroaches, termites and wasps that frighten us as well as potentially harm us and our environment.
Most people would do anything to rid their house of such pests. The Japan Pest Control Association estimates that through their 41 centers nationwide in 1999 they gave 20,365 consultations to anxious members of the public. Almost 56 percent of these concerned wasp infestation, with rats and mice ranked second, termites third, cockroaches fourth, fleas fifth and mites sixth.