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==Insects as Food==
==Insects as Food==
{{Main|Entomophagy}}
{{Main|Entomophagy}}
Sure, they are high in protein, and people eat them all over Mexico, and nightly on 'Fear Factor' I see mealworms, earth worms, blood worms, madagascar hissing cockroaches, cave spiders and scorpions being consumed en-mass by greedy 20 somethings with more stomach lining than sense.  (I know, I know - scorpions and spiders are not really insects... quit being so technical).
Sure, they are high in protein, and people eat them all over Mexico, and nightly on 'Fear Factor' I see mealworms, earth worms, blood worms, madagascar hissing cockroaches, cave spiders and scorpions being consumed en-mass by greedy 20 somethings with more stomach lining than sense.  (I know, I know - scorpions and spiders are not really insects... quit being so technical). Anyone consider these a real part of their diet, or are they more of a novelty ?
 
Anyone consider these a real part of their diet, or are they more of a novelty - kind of like Rocky Mountain Oysters are in the central United States.  What do catholic central-american countries think of that disgusting practice I wonder ?


==Insects as Pests==
==Insects as Pests==

Revision as of 13:29, 8 November 2012

Insects as Food

Sure, they are high in protein, and people eat them all over Mexico, and nightly on 'Fear Factor' I see mealworms, earth worms, blood worms, madagascar hissing cockroaches, cave spiders and scorpions being consumed en-mass by greedy 20 somethings with more stomach lining than sense. (I know, I know - scorpions and spiders are not really insects... quit being so technical). Anyone consider these a real part of their diet, or are they more of a novelty ?

Insects as Pests

Insects as garden helpers

"There are no bad bugs in my garden, just Predator Bug Food." The concept of using insects as pest management is part of Integrated Pest Management, or IPM.

Ants and Aphids

Ants and aphids have a symbiotic relationship and are often found together on plants. Ants protect aphid eggs during the winter and then take them to a food source when they are born. As aphids eat, they secrete "honeydew," a sugary substance which the ants then suck out of them.

When they become a pest problem, some management techniques include the use of diatomaceous earth and adding predators, like chickens.

ants and aphids on my apple tree at richsoil.com Aphids - Ants and Aphids at science.jrank.org forum on ants and aphids at permies.com

Insects as Pets

See Also

External Links

Manage Insects on Your Farm: A Guide to Ecological Strategies - Download this 128 page book free as a PDF file.

While every farming system is unique, the principles of ecological pest management apply universally. "Manage Insects on Your Farm" highlights ecological strategies that improve your farm's natural defenses and encourage beneficial insects to attack your worst pests.

Learn about the principles of ecologically based pest management and the strategies of farmers around the world to address insect problems. Minimize insect damage with wise soil management and identify beneficial insects to put these "good bugs" to work for you.

Examples of successful pest management strategies sprinkled throughout the book will stimulate your imagination to address insect problems and develop a more complex, more diverse ecosystem on your farm.

http://www.sare.org/publications/insect.htm

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