All The Buzz

Hey there! Welcome to my second post! Scroll down to view my first post along with some background information about me.

A Bug's Life: Happy Habitat

Last week I went through the set-up process of my farm - this week I want to talk about ​​the research I'm working on to curate a healthy, thriving insect farm!

Like all animals, environmental conditions play a large role in mealworms' health and productivity. They thrive in warm temperatures, low humidity, and minimal light. Mealworms can eat just about anything - fruit, grains, decaying matter, and even some plastics! So far, I've been keeping my mealworms at room temperature and feeding them oats with various fruits to add moisture. This month I will be altering different aspects of their environment to see how it affects their size and life cycle timeline.

Mealworms grow for about 10 weeks before entering the pupa stage where they will stay for 2-3 weeks and then emerge as beetles. By working with various temperatures and food sources, I hope to capture how different conditions can lengthen or shorten the amount of time mealworms spend in each stage. Be sure to check back next week for updates!

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Food For Thought: Insect Dishes Around the World

Insects have a niche spot in the American food market, but they are common in dishes around the world! Click through the slideshow to see some versatile ways insects are prepared. 

  

1. By Cvmontuy - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12125735
2. By User:Takoradee - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1482939
3. ​By TimCowley - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36444101_

1. Escamoles are ant eggs commonly served in tacos or as a stand-alone dish. The eggs have a buttery taste and are native to Central Mexico. 
2. Fried Water Bugs are common street food in Thailand along with fried grasshoppers and crickets. They have a nutty and crispy taste. 
3. Termites are a food source in Africa as well as some regions of the Americas. They can be roasted or fried and have a vegetable taste.

Sustainability Spotlight: Clean Beaches Week

July 1st-7th is recognized nationally as Clean Beaches Week! The Clean Beaches Coalition founded this initiative to raise awareness of the importance of clean beaches for both humans and the ocean ecosystem. It's estimated that 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean annually, killing over 1 million marine animals per year. These plastics take hundreds of years to break down and disrupt delicate ocean ecosystems.

So what can we do to help keep beaches clean and reduce the litter that enters the ocean?

1. Join a beach cleanup crew! Organizations such as Ocean Blue Project and Surfrider Foundation organize volunteers to cleanup beaches.  
2. Leave no trace. Litter can travel far from small water sources and eventually end up in the ocean - do your part and make sure you don't leave litter behind while enjoying nature.
3. Reduce plastic usage! Reusable bags and water bottles can go a long way in reducing the amount of plastic that ends up in the ocean.

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The Clean Beach Coalition states that July 4th is the holiday that brings the most beach-goers, so if you're planning on taking a (socially distant) trip to the shore to celebrate remember to be mindful of your trash and do your part to keep our beaches and oceans clean!