Termites | Bugs People Eat | Fun Fact Friday

Around the world there are bugs that "eat" people.  Mosquitoes, bed bugs, ants (yes really), etc.  But what might be less well know is that around the world, people eat bugs- sometimes as a dietary staple.  Here in the United States, it is less common, although people do eat bugs as a joke, on a dare, or by accident-- generally speaking though, bugs are not a common ingredient in our food (yet).

Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines Entomophagy:

Entomophagy : the practice of eating insects
 

 Because bugs are very nutritious and take very little effort or resources to raise, the practice of eating insects (or entomophagy) is being encouraged amoung young people and environmentally concious people.  Here are some commonly eaten bugs:

• Grasshoppers
• Cicadas
• Ants
• Termites
• Aquatic Insect Larva
• Wax worms
• Dragonflies
• Wasp Larvae
• Moth Pupa
• Palm Weevil Larva
• Cirina forda Westwood larva
• Damsel Flies
• Crickets
• Compost Beetle Larva

Bugs are eaten around the world. They are fried as a snack or appetizer, used in soup or stirfry as a protein, boiled, boiled and dried, and even eaten raw.  There you have it.  For fun fact Friday, around the world, and increasingly in the united states, people are eating insects as a regular part of their diet.

Micah Wood
Peak Pest Management LLC
503-998-4322
360-607-1933
206-790-8285
www.peak-pest-management.com
micah@peak-pest-management.com

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Merriam Webster Online Dictionary: "Entomophagy" www.merriam-webster.com

Mott, Maryann. "Bugs as Food: People Bite Back." National Geographic News. 16 Apr. 2004. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/04/0416_040416_eatingcicadas.html.

Unger, Lana. "Bug Food: Edible Insects - Insect Snacks from Around the World." The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. 26 Jan 2009. http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/dept/bugfood2.asp

Fun Fact Friday : Bees

Bees are fun right?  Generally, no they are not, especially with kids (and I have 3 kids). Bubble bees are relatively harmless and cute, but with kids everything gets "lumped" together as a bee, whether it is a bubble bee, honey bee, wasp, hornet, yellow jacket, Africanized honey bee (killer bee), whatever.  If it flies and has a stinger, or even looks like it has a stinger it is, to a child, a bee.  In fact most flies are considered bees by my younger daughter-- even fruit flies.

Well here is a fun fact about BEES, real bees.  A bee may fly up to 60 miles in a day while gathering food.  That would be the equivalent to running more than 2 marathons through the grocery store while gathering food in one day.

That is all I have for Fun Fact Friday, but here is an interesting video clip by national geographic about killer bees in the amazon rain forest. 



If you're having a problem with bees, wasps, hornets, yellow jackets, paper wasps, etc. in or around your home please give me a call.  I'd be happy to help!

Micah Wood
Peak Pest Management
503-998-4322
360-607-1933
206-790-8285
micah@peak-pest-management.com
www.peak-pest-management.com

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Department of Systematic Bilogy, Entomology Section, National Museum of Natural History, Bug Info Sheet Number 177.  www.si.edu