19-12-1999 In a study done by the University of Georgia, scientists showed that plants send out very specific signals for parasitic wasps to come to their aid when under attack by herbivores.
20-10-2001 Varroa mites (two strains of Varroa destructor), which parasitize the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) over much of the world, can seriously weaken and even kill honey bee colonies. Some possibilities for control are discussed.
19-10-1996 Grasshoppers and locusts cause extensive damage to a wide variety of crops and can be persistent in gardens year after year. Several ideas for their control are presented.
17-07-2017 Insects and other pests can be a serious constraint to food production, especially where resources for pest management are scarce. For example, in EDN 133, we responded to a question about problems with tomato leaf miner (Tuta absoluta) in Nigeria. Heavy infestations of this pest alone can reduce...
23-10-2017 Insects are an often-overlooked food and feed source. In many areas of the world, they have been eaten for centuries.Where insects are not typically viewed as a food source, people often have an internal aversion to eating them.Insects make sense as a food and feed source for many reasons. First,...
Insects are an often-overlooked food and feed source. In many areas of the world, they have been eaten for centuries. In 1885, Vincent M. Holt wrote a document called “Why Not Eat Insects?” in which he described historical instances of people who ate insects and considered them a great delicacy....
It is best not to assume that such high efficiency is possible in every case. In an article titled “Crickets are not a free lunch,” authors Lundy and Parrella (2015) point out that crickets’ growth and even viability depends on the quality of their diet, especially at an industrial scale. Still,...
Larvae of the black solder fly (Hermetia illucens) are a popular protein source for animal feed. Ian Banks, working in research and development with Agriprotein, shared several characteristics that make black soldier fly larvae good candidates for mass-rearing (Thomas 2017a). The larvae are...