Q: #216. Were there insects on Noah's Ark?
A: The Bible says in (Gen 7:14-15) that “all flesh in which was the breath of life” was brought onto the Ark. (Gen 7:22) goes on to say that “all in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was on the dry land, died” in the flood.
From these verses, we learn 2 things. First, all of the creatures on the Ark had the “breath of life,” which means they breathed through their “nostrils.” In addition, ALL creatures who breathed through their nostrils and lived on “dry land” died in the flood except those on the Ark.
Those who breathe through nostrils have lungs. Insects do not have nostrils or lungs. Insects absorb oxygen through their skin, through a series of breathing holes or tracheal tubes located in their chest or abdomen. Therefore, neither insects nor sea creatures were on the Ark, but they did survive the flood.
How did insects survive? Think about what happens during a flood. We see HUGE amounts of debris and vegetation (i.e. trees) being torn from the ground and then floating on the surface of the water. Unfortunately, both man and beast sometimes are killed and end up floating too. Can you imagine how much debris and vegetation would have been floating on the surface in a worldwide flood? Sadly, since EVERY land living creature that breathed through the nostrils died as well, there would be thousands (millions?) of bodies on the surface mixed with this debris. (Some may have even survived for a short time floating on debris.) From this would be ample opportunity for insects to live, eat, and breed.
For answers related to this topic, see:
Q: #44. Did it rain before the flood?
Q: #45. Did man eat meat before the flood?
Q: #109. What do rainbows symbolize in the Bible?
Q: #217. Could Noah’s Ark really hold all of those animals?
Q: #402. How many children did Noah have?