{"id":6363,"key":"Insects","title":"Insects","latest":{"id":1207065,"timestamp":"2025-11-27T21:26:58Z"},"content_model":"wikitext","license":{"url":"https://www.appropedia.org/Appropedia:Copyrights","title":"CC-BY-SA-4.0"},"source":"[[File:Insects collage.jpg|thumb]]\n\n== Insects as Food ==\n\n{{Main|Entomophagy}}\n\nSure, 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 ?\n\n== Insects as Pests ==\n\nSome insects such as locusts have a history of being a pest.\n\n== Insects as garden helpers ==\n\n{{Main|Biological control agents}}\n\n\"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.\n\n== Ants and Aphids ==\n\nAnts 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.\n\nWhen they become a pest problem, some management techniques include the use of diatomaceous earth and adding predators, like chickens.\n\n[http://www.richsoil.com/antsandaphids/ ants and aphids on my apple tree] at richsoil.com\n[http://science.jrank.org/pages/462/Aphids-Ants-aphids.html Aphids - Ants and Aphids] at science.jrank.org\n[http://www.permies.com/permaculture-forums/10_0/organic-sustainable-practices/ants-and-aphids forum on ants and aphids] at permies.com\n\n== Insects as Pets ==\n\n== See also ==\n\n* [[Food]]\n\n{{Page data\n| license = CC-BY-SA-3.0\n| description = Insects are everywhere. Appropedia covers their many roles—as pests, pollinators, food, and even pets—in a changing environment.\n}}\n\n[[Category:Insects]]\n[[Category:Agriculture]]\n[[Category:Food and agriculture]]\n[[Category:Animals]]\n[[Category:Pest control]]"}