The Nation Newspaper

Tag: insects

  • Insects destroy crops in Ondo community

    Strange insects have invaded some communities in Akoko area of Ondo Northern Senatorial District in Ondo State.

    Mostly affected are: Afin-Akoko, Oke-Agbe and Oyin in Akoko Northwest Local Government Area.

    The insects reportedly invaded the communities and their farm settlements.

    It was learnt they were swarming in thousands and fouling the air with offensive odour.

    According to two community leaders, Joseph Omolade and Samuel Adogbe, the invasion of the insects created panic among the residents.

    They said many farmers abandoned their farms, particularly in areas where palm oil was being processed, to prevent contamination.

    The residents urged the ministries of Health, Agriculture and Environment to fumigate the affected communities to avoid an epidemic.

  • New West African project on using insects for feed

    New West African project on using insects for feed

    The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF ) are  partnering with PROteINSECT  on  how  to use  ‘Insects as feed in West Africa’.

    The project will focus on Benin, Ghana and Burkina Faso. In these countries, smallholder poultry and fish farmers suffer from the increasing cost of feed. Many of them do not have access to feed protein sources, resulting in quantitative and qualitative feed shortages affecting production of meat, eggs and fish, and reducing family income.

    A solution to develop sustainable household poultry farming and aquaculture systems is the use of untapped local, easily available and cheap protein sources such as insects. The most promising and commonly used species for feed are the house fly and the black soldier fly. Termites are another type of insects that can be used for animal feed.

    It will test whether fly larvae and termites are an economically, socially and environmentally viable source of protein for poultry and fish feed on smallholder farms in West Africa.  The concrete objectives will be: to develop appropriate methods for fly larvae and termite production and utilisation in smallholder farming systems, to understand and ensure the social, economic and environmental sustainability of the proposed innovations and to validate and implement the innovations with the beneficiaries, and disseminate the project’s findings to the stakeholders, general public, scientific community and policy makers.The project will run for six years.

  • ‘Man, insects share the same world’

    The Chuwkuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu University in Uli, Anambra State, has held its first inaugural lecture, focusing on insects and their, relationship with man. The event was attended by staff and students, civil servants, traditional rulers and  neighbouring institutions of higher learning.

    In his address, the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof Fidelis Okafor, said the lecture was a giant step in taking the institution to greater heights.

    Delivering his paper titled: ‘’Insects and man: species, diversity and interactions, Prof Chukwunenye Anene said as men and insects share the same world, there was a constant interaction between the two, adding that the intensity of this interaction was contingent upon the size of the human population and upon the number of insects both in terms of the individuals and species.

    The professor of entomology said only a small percentage of insect was antagonistic to man, and an equal number was beneficial and great majority were essentially neutral.

  • Ebola: Don recommends insects as substitute for `bush meat’

    Prof. Chukwunenye Anene, on Tuesday advised Nigerians to harness insects as alternative rich sources of protein to other sources of protein or `bush meat’ cause of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

    Anene, who is the Dean, Faculty of Natural Sciences in Anambra State University, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Igbariam near Onitsha, Anambra.

    The don said that with targeted research it would be possible to convert and harness some insects to produce rich protein for a very large population.

    Anene, who is a Professor of Entomology and Insect Pest Management, noted that it was regrettable that very delicious and well-known sources of protein (animal meats) in Africa, especially West Africa, are today dreaded by people.

    “Insects should no longer be called pests but treated fairly as food substances and alternative source of protein.

    “And where the regular protein from meat is been jettisoned by many, insect could as well replace these sources of protein for man.

    “So there is a need for a co-ordinated research in this direction since it had been found out that some insects, which are helpful to man, have high protein content,’’ he said.

    Anene, however, urged humans to stop the indiscriminate killing of insects as they play vital role in the existence of man.

    The don also advised health workers not to subdue all insects at the same time through their in-door and out-door non-selective residual spraying as well as other unhealthy environmental practices.