A Real Bug's Life

New York.

The ultimate concrete jungle.

It may not seem like a great home

from a bug's perspective.

But even in this towering megatropolis,

a lucky few are enjoying Uptown life.

If you're a bold jumping spider,

this is prime real estate.

A luxurious penthouse potted plant,

with everything a pea-sized spider needs.

It's the leafiest location on the block.

And each morning, breakfast gets served up on a plate.

Well, kinda.

It's not eggs he's after,

it's the flying side dishes.

So many flies pass by, he's making a killing up here.

Even the luckiest little spider

has days that don't start so well.

And some get even worse.

That starling could eat him for breakfast.

But with his leafy retreat, he's all good.

Oh, no! A larger male.

And this plant is single occupancy only.

Jumping spiders are fiercely territorial.

Let's face it, when two tiny spiders fight,

who the heck knows what's going on?

But you can bet the bigger guy's gonna win.

Evicted, homeless, vulnerable.

Oh, come on, man!

All a jumping spider can do is...

...jump!

Being as light as a bug

makes for a softer landing.

But from here on,

the spider's day is only gonna get tougher.

Finding food and shelter on the streets of New York,

the struggle's real, y'all.

At street level, it's hectic, grimy,

and there's a lot more...

feet.

Only the most street-smart bugs can make a home here.

The cockroach is one of the fastest things on six legs.

On his scale,

he moves at the equivalent of 200 miles an hour,

to hustle a living beneath our feet.

And when morning rush hour hits,

he's already planned his getaway.

Later, suckers!

You gotta be clued in to know this hideout.

Squeezing through gaps a tenth of an inch wide,

he enters a hidden underworld.

The perfect place to keep a low profile

till the crowds clear.

Forget the subway.

Welcome to the bugway.

A vast network of pipes and tunnels

all sorts of creatures use to move around town.

And as a breeding ground.

When it comes to insects in the city,

roaches are rampant.

There are thought to be 120 of them

for every human in New York.

And each female can produce 150 babies in her lifetime.

We're all cool with that, right?

But before you get too grossed out,

there are cuter critters living down here.

Pavement ants thrive in New York,

thanks to their industrious nature.

Even the queen of the colony works,

laying up to 40 eggs a day.

So it's up to her all-female team to tend the young

and keep the food coming in.

But feeding the 5,000 takes a small miracle.

This tiny scout ant, only a tenth of an inch,

has a huge challenge ahead:

to go find food,

out there, among the giants.

For a lost spider,

getting squished is a pressing problem.

Not easy to climb out of trouble here,

gotta find somewhere dark and shadowy.

But this hideout isn't as secure as it looks.

All he can do is keep searching.

You might think the streets look even more intimidating

from an ant's perspective,

but she's not scared.

She doesn't see so well.

Instead, she relies on her antennae.

They can pick up scent from 15 feet.

And nothing beats the smell of fast food.

Like us, pavement ants are addicted.

Problem is, to her,

that hot dog is a two-mile hike

with huge obstacles in the way.

But this scout knows how to turn being tiny

into an advantage.

Jackpot!

But it's way more than one ant can handle.

Time to call in the squad.

On her way back to the colony, she lays a scent trail.

So her sisters can get straight onto the job.

Each can carry around 50 times her own weight.

But even with their combined strength,

this could take a while.

Through the day, the sun bakes the streets.

By afternoon, the city can be 20 degrees hotter

than the surrounding countryside.

But these hardy, heat-loving ants just keep chipping away.

No challenge is too big when you work as a team.

But when you're lost, hungry and alone,

life on the mean streets ain't easy.

At least the search for a safe place is looking up.

Now that's a legit potted plant.

So, it's an up-and-coming neighborhood.

He can live with a little trash.

It's the neighbor who's the problem.

Armed, deadly, and quick on the draw,

this mantis stalks the city, preying on smaller bugs.

Time for a fast exit,

head somewhere dark and shadowy again.

Later!

Hey, does this stroller go to Queens?

Accidental hitchhiking is a very buggy way to travel.

And every day, we are unwittingly

carrying them around town.

But a freewheeling spider has no control

over where he's heading.

Of course, that's no problem if you can...

fly.

Now, this guy really knows how to get around town.

Super sensitive antennae can sniff out food from 30 blocks.

Though he rarely has to go that far.

Sometimes he gets delivery.

But why settle for recycled food,

when you can steal something fresher?

Small, fast and stealthy,

his crimes mostly go unnoticed.

We process 60 images a second;

for him, it's 250.

Like seeing in slooow mooootion.

He can pull off

the most audacious high-speed maneuvers.

And if things get really hairy,

he's got another trick up his sleeve.

A pair of gyroscopic weights swing under his wings,

for Top Gun level aerobatics.

Anyway, back to the burger.