Insects in military service

How about the army, which can not be counted and evaluate the usual methods? Do you believe that the mosquito bite is not accidental, and the Colorado beetle appeared on potato bushes by order of military authorities? "My Planet" tells.

Entomological weapon (as a type of biological weapon used for insect attacks) Although prohibited at the level of international conventions, but, as practice shows, it is quite effective and dangerous. And the story is calculated by centuries.

Many researchers insist that the first instrument of this kind was applied under the Emperor of Septimia North during the war Rome with Mesopotamia. The fortress Hatreh reflected the next attack of Roman legionnaires, throwing on them from above … what would you think? Scorpions!

Bees are not only honey, but also .

The use of bees and OS against their enemy, as entomologists believed, took place in the Stone Age. The mechanism of elementary acted. In the cave, where, presumably, the opponent was hidden, threw the buzzing swarms to lure the enemy and at the same time put injury to him.

Many examples of bee assistance in a military confrontation have been preserved since the Middle Ages. So, for example, in 908, the English city Chester was protected from Vikings due to the fact that the British threw the bee hives in the underground move, which the enemies tried to get.

In the period of the thirty-year war (1618-1648) the German city of Kissengen was precipitated by the Swedes. Someone Peter Hale, one of the inhabitants, offered to dump the bee hives on the besieging. Bee warriors were not disturbed, but the horses were bitten than weakened the Swedish army. Thus, the method worked, the siege ended. And in the city one of the streets was named after a guess defender. The authenticity of this story is evidenced by the official urban portal of modern Bad Kissingen.

The battle of the hired army of Mansfeld and the troops of the Catholic League under the tsarlat. Thirty-year war (1618-1648)

In England, Scotland and Wales went even further. Instead of using pots with bees ONO, MONTROW them in the enemy, they preferred to settle the bees in the fortress walls, making them among the stones special niches and thus providing additional protection against attackers. This method has happened more than once, and insects disturbed during the attack. The only minus, as it turned out, was the opportunity to divide bees only on the south side of buildings.

Nigerian tribes use bees against enemies and now – on their own, not quite safe. They simply launch the winged tubes and blow from one edge, thus directing the weapon on the enemy.

A fairly modern mention of the use of bees as a weapon has been preserved since the confrontation between Italy and Ethiopia in 1935-1936, when Ethiopian partisans threw the bee hives in the tanks to the enemy.

Plague at went to Europe from the Crimea along with fleas

But not only bees became famous in war. American entomologist Jeffrey Lockwood in his book "Hexline Soldiers" tells how during the siege of the ancient city of Cuffi (territory of modern Feodosia) Khan Janibek in 1346, the Tatar army began to die out of the mysterious disease (then the plague was known to us). Janibek ordered the catapults to cast the corpses per gate of the city of Genoese. Together with the corpses in the city, the true diseases of the disease were penetrated – fleas, which from Feodosia on the ships of the fled Gheanesers were then hit to Europe. So began a pandemic of plague (black death), which carried out then, according to various sources, up to half of the European population.

Fleas in German bombs

Brutal experiments "Detachment 731". The results of the experiments were transferred to the United States after World War II

The Japanese during World War II took repeat the experience with plague fleas. For the development of this kind of weapon, special design was created – "Detachment 731" under the guidance of General Siro Issi. The plan was: fleas – carriers of the plague, placed in the "bombs" and dropped over the opponent’s territory, should infected the frightened inflammation. There were difficulties with the transportation of fleas, which died at high temperatures of the explosion prepared bombs. In the end, a special kind of ceramic bombs was developed and their explosion took place at the marginal proximity to the Earth. About 30,000 infected individuals placed in each charge. The tests were actively carried out on sites, where prisoners were tied to the columns and the possibility of infection was tested on them. It is known that the Japanese placled fleas planned to use in 1944 on the Mariana Islands captured by the American troops. But the US submarine sank the Japanese vessel. Later, after the onset of the USSR troops in Manchuria, the specialty was eliminated, and a plague flashed in the surrounding area.

In the fall of 1943, the Germans were flooded by the earlier swamps south of Rome. The larvae of mosquitoes carrying malaria were launched there – Anopheles Labranchiae

However, the former commander of Siro Issi continued its activities to develop entomological weapons, but in the United States. It is known that in the post-war 50s, tests were carried out similar to Japanese, where live fleas and mosquitoes were used to fill bombs. Infect enemies Americans were not going to Chuma, but a yellow fever. It was assumed that the spread of this disease would be particularly effective in the territory of the USSR, where there were no vaccinations and developed preparations for the treatment of this disease. Fortunately, on the polygon tests did not matter.