Everyone loves honey and probably uses in one form or another every day. Honey is primarily used in beauty products, cooking, baking or spread on bread/biscuits for a sweet treat. The Honey bee makes a sweet food by using nectar collected from flowers. There place in the eco-systems is irreplaceable and an critical part in the human food supply chain. The food produced by the honey bee has a distinctive taste and differs from varieties produced by other bees and insects.

There has not been one culture from the Far East to the South Americas that the honey bee has not been an integral part of their culture. In  Egypt and the Middle East honey was used for embalming the dead. In China there were many books that spoke about the importance of beekeeping and the part it played in the lives of the Chinese.  In Central America, the Maya used honey from the stingless bee for culinary purposes; the practice continues in modern times.

But most people do not know about the use of honey as medicine and its incorporation into modern medicine. the Greek philosopher Aristotle is credited with being among the first to record medicinal use of honey for the eyes as far back as 350 B.C. Honey is heavily used in developing countries not only for its incredible healing elements but it low cost of delivery. For example in India honey is used in eye care. Manuka (made by bees in New Zealand) honey applications in ophthalmology are primarily anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti-fungal. Manuka honey can be used to treat a variety of eye problems, including syphilitic keratitis, corneal ulcers, injuries to the cornea and lime burns to the cornea.

In Australia bees are producing honey gathered from a native myrtle. The honey produced has been found to contain the most powerful anti-bacterial properties of any medicinal honey in the world. Medicinal honeys are used in treat wounds and viruses. The significance of this discovery is critical in finding alternatives to treating infections resistant to antibiotics. Recently there have been much attention focused on the overuse and of penicillin and penicillin derivatives; medicinal honey is an option that medical doctors can look in treating bacterial infections and wound care. In France honey is being used in wound care. Honey’s enzyme produces a natural hydrogen peroxide quality that has the ability to stop the growth of bacteria and fungi.

Research continues on the uses of honey in medicine but what is for sure is that the Flying Pharmacy has been used by humans for 1000s of years and will continue to an important of our everyday lives.

As the plants grow and start to bloom this spring so will the cicadas after 13 year hibernation. So what are cicadas? There are over 2,500 types of cicadas worldwide, and they are classified as insects although they are commonly mistaken for locust. In Tennessee and throughout the Southern United States they are called “July flies” for the time of year they emerge. The type of cicadas that Middle Tennesseans will see in May is known as periodical Cicadas. They are members of the Brood XIX, a 13 year cicadas that last emerged in 1998.

Cicadas are harmless to human beings. However in rare circumstances that can sting a human being if they mistake a person’s arm or other body part to be a tree limb. Cicadas feed on the sap in trees and have an apparatus that inject into the tree in order to feed. Although painful a cicadas’ sting will not harm humans. But no so lucky for crops, shrubs and trees. Female cicadas can scar branches and limbs when laying their eggs but the damage is not critical.

While cicadas do not look appetizing many people around the world eat them as a food source to include China, Burma, Congo, Greece, Malaysia, Burma and Latin America. Additionally the shells of the cicadas are used in medicines in China.

If you have any questions about Cicadas or other insects that will be emerging this spring please contact Mack Pest Control at (615) 227-3563 or email us at info@mackpestcontrol.com.

Well they never really left; what are we talking about? Bedbugs, those creepy little insects that nobody can see or exterminate. It is estimated that Bedbugs can go without feeding for over a year; additionally a female Bedbug can produce over 400 eggs at a time and reproduce over 500 times in their life span. These are just some of the factors that continue to drive the Bedbug crisis throughout the United States.

There is little medical evidence that Bedbugs are carriers of human disease, however they do feed on human beings like a parasite. The bites can cause extreme itchiness and skin irritations. Doctors recommend bedbug bites include antihistamines, topical corticosteroids and anti-itching medications as treatment options. Although there is no known permanent method to eradicate Bedbugs, we recommend you contact a insect control professional to determine if a problem exists and recommend treatment options.

If you have any questions about bedbugs or other pest control issues please contact Tommy Swint at (615) 227-3563 to schedule your appointment with a Mack Pest Control professional.

For most Americans the idea of eating insects is appalling but in other the parts of the world it is as common as oven roasted chicken. The United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization is working on a policy to promote insects as a food worldwide.  The push for an alternative food source is more urgent than what most Americans realize. In the United States where food is currently plentiful nobody worries about the food supply, however there is a global meat crisis. It is estimated that the world population will be nine billion by 2050, 33% increase over current levels. As the population grows so will the consumption of meat from an average of 50kg/person to over 80kg in 20 years, if the trend holds steady the earth’s food production will become depleted.

Another compelling reason is for the good of our health. A diet that incorporates insects is high in protein, vitamins and minerals and low in saturated fats. Additionally the farming of insects produces far less greenhouse gas than livestock. Commonly eaten insects such as locusts, crickets and meal worms emit 10 times less methane gas than livestock.

Nobody is expecting to see a large section of insects for sale in the local grocery store like Whole Foods or Krogers. But as food prices and health concerns rising significantly, it may merit a look at incorporating insects into our daily lives. Many recipes are available on how-to cook insects to suit the western appetite.  It may be a hard swallow at first but once you try you may like it so give it a try, Bon Appetite!