Household ants are regarded as a major household pest and their close association with microorganisms and people means that they may constitute a disease risk. Our study is the first to provide information on the pathogenicity of Monomorium spp. a common insect in Kuwait by quantifying and identifying the exoskeleton bacterial burden. Samples of Monomorium were collected in June from indoor and outdoor sites of 30 houses located in two residential districts. The study identified a total of 16 different species of Gram-negative bacteria of which the indoor isolates were 75% greater in species count than the outdoor samples. Indoor isolates identified from both districts were more frequent than the outdoors and similar trends were obtained for a single district. Outdoor ant samples on the other hand carried a high percentage of bacteria but with less diversity in both districts. There was a significant variability in bacterial species in relation to sample sources, indoor and outdoor, and discrete geographical location. The presence of a high percentage of pathogenic and potentially pathogenic bacteria indoor poses a great threat to domestic households, which would be further exacerbated in places with poor standards of hygiene.

Due to cockroaches’ filthy habits and habitats, they are incriminated to mechanically disseminate a wide range of food-borne pathogens. This study was designed to examine the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) as a carrier of bacteria and explore their risk to human health in Kuwait. From the 6 governorates of Kuwait, 600 cockroaches were collected for isolating and quantifying bacterial load using macroscopical, microscopical, and biochemical methods. A total of 20 bacterial isolates were determined by this study of which Escherichia coli was the most prevalent and Acinetobacter baumannii was the second dominant and as far as we are aware this is the first identification of this species on the American cockroach. Pseudomonas luteola and klebsiella pneumoniae were recognized as the least frequent bacteria. Several bacterial isolates were identified as highly pathogenic to humans such as Salmonella choleraesuis and Serratia marcescens and others. This study, which is regarded as the first study carried out in Kuwait, accentuated that the American cockroach is graded as a potential disseminator of life-threatening pathogenic agents and its public health implications should be highly considered. Hence, effective preventive and control measures are needed.

Animal droppings are essential for agriculture because they are rich in organic matter and nutrients that support plant growth. The application and management of manure from domestic animals is essential for the sustainability of agricultural practices. Nevertheless, diseases and unbalanced nutrient contents in unprocessed manure can seriously endanger the environment and public health. This study examines the physical, chemical, bacteriological, and faunal diversity of fresh and decomposing horse dung mixed with agricultural waste. The mixture was analysed on the first day of the composition process and repeated eight months before field application. Frequent assessments of fresh and mature manure have been conducted to monitor faunal diversity. In addition, a light trap was used for an entire year to count the most common scarab species (Phyllanthus excavatus). The levels of faecal coliform bacteria and Streptococcus, total nitrogen, accessible phosphorus, potassium, organic matter, and carbon decreased in the mature manure mixture. Other measurements indicating a notable increase included total viable heterotrophic bacteria and Actinomyces, as well as total potassium, available nitrogen, and total phosphorus. The fresh mixture contained many insect species, including various species of ants, cockroaches, immature fly stages, earwigs, beetles, and woodlice. In contrast, woodlice and multiple stages of scarab species dominated the mature mixture. A high prevalence of the scarab Phyllognathus excavatus was observed, especially in October and November. Exploring the role of terrestrial biota and associated microflora on soil fertility and nutrient cycling dynamics is crucial for sustainable agricultural practices.

Present study was undertaken to investigate the ability of Harmonia axyridis to survive temperatures greater than the previously reported maximum of 30°C by evaluating the effects of three temperatures (12, 25, and 36.7°C) on H. axyridis development and sex ratio. The results revealed that temperature affects the life history traits of H. axyridis and that H. axyridis has a high thermal tolerance. However, the manifestations of the species’ thermal tolerance differed, to some extent, across treatments. In particular, the 36.7°C treatment had a substantial influence on sex ratio and biased the sex ratio towards females, which may function to maximize egg production, thereby improving survival under stressful conditions.