There is a very interesting and worthwhile book titled,
Tiny Game Hunting: Environmentally Healthy Ways to Trap and Kill the Pests in Your House and Garden 
by Hilary Dole Klein and Adrian M. Wenner, published by University of California Press. Not only is the book great for learning practical, environmentally friendly ways to battle house and garden pests, but it is packed with interesting facts about the insect world.
For example, did you know that there are over 8,800 ant species worldwide? And did you know that ants "along with termites" are the dominant insect species on the planet? "In terms of sheer biomass, ants...not only outnumber us; they outweigh us."
The authors go on to say:
Besides being utterly impossible, it would be foolish to attempt to eliminate all your ants, because in many ways ants are our friends and allies, and we need them. In China, ants have been used for thousands of years to help control pests in orchards, making them the first insects known to be used for biological control. Ants actually help control pests that we haven't always been very successful controlling on our own. Both indoors and out, they eat the eggs and larvae of fleas, flies, spiders, bed bugs, and probably silverfish and clothes moths. They also go after cockroaches and conenose bugs. In addition, ants patrol the perimeters of our houses and keep termites, their mortal enemies, from establishing colonies in our homes. If we let them do their job, that is.