Antipest Blog

Of the countless types of pests in the world, some of them stand out as the most horrendous – the types of species you definitely want to shun at all costs, for, if you encounter them, they could well spell the doom of your precious life!

The acidic Japanese Giant Hornet (Vespa Mandarinia Japonica)

This type of hornet measures 3 inches long and is the size of a fat man’s thumb.  It resides on the hilltops of mountains in Japan.  The lethal part of it is its ability to spit acidic venom that can melt your flesh and, it likes to aim at human eyes!!  What is worse is that, its poison contains pheromone that can attract other hornets (of the same species) from the hive to come and attack you until you die and, till death only do they part!  If you encounter these hornets, it would be difficult to outrun them as they can fly at high speed for 50 miles a day.  Statistics show an average of 40 human deaths as a result of such attack each year.

Their way of subsisting is rapacious and pretty violent too.  They feed on other kinds of bees by attacking and spraying their hive with their signature poison, dismembering their prey with their vicious jaws before gulping them.  They usually triumph in war even when they are outnumbered because of their sheer strength, bulk and acid-spitting ability.   Needless to say, these Japanese Giant Hornets are the gods of all bees!  Witness the massacre in the video below, what a mess they make!

Reference: http://www.cracked.com/article_15816_the-5-most-horrifying-bugs-in-world.html

The Brazilian wandering spider is one of the most venomous spiders on Earth and has been inducted into the Guinness World Records for its deadly poison.  Wandering spiders contain potent neurotoxins in their fangs which cause their unfortunate victims to endure breathing problems and paralysis.  Furthermore, the bite causes inflammation and eventually asphyxiation that can result in death.

It has been reported that victims can die in an hour if left untreated.  However, there is an ironic plus of the venom which is said to be used in erectile dysfunction treatments.  Well, I am quite sure the cons outweigh the pros if bitten.

They can be rather daunting when they go into a defensive stance.   With their body raised in an erect position, they lift their frontal legs high which sway from side to side to deter any attackers.

Besides that, their scientific name simply means murderess but they are also more comically known as banana spiders as they are fond of hiding in banana plants.  They adopted the name ‘wandering’ as they crawl around during the night instead of spinning a web or holing up their den like most ordinary spiders do.

There have been numerous reports of people overseas discovering the lethal spider crawling out from their grocery packs.  One such case occurred in Somerset where a chef was bitten by a wandering spider while rummaging through a bag of bananas from Brazil.  Recently in 2014, a family in London was shocked to discover this deadly spider in a clump of bananas that they had purchased. 

Thus, watch out when buying bananas from Brazil! You never know when these pesky beings might appear.

Continuing from last article, here are some more insects made into pill or liquid form for your natural and organic medicinal and therapeutic treatments.

(vi) Caterpillar fungus  

It has been long in history that the fungi of caterpillars are extracted and used as traditional Chinese medicines and tonics for relieving stress, boosting energy level and even jacking up sex drive.  Such preparation is in the form of powder or broth that produces pleasant aroma and savory taste.  Moreover, caterpillar fungus is also used in the treatment of various diseases and sicknesses such as anemia, tuberculosis, knee pain, backache, cough, and kidney disease.  Its medicamentous value is in the same rank as that of ginseng.

(vii) Cicadae for diuresis and as Chinese herbs

Cicadas have been proven in medical studies for curing urinary tract infections.  Whenever you have problem or pain in emitting your fluids, just eat some cicadas for your diuretic therapy.  Bon appétit!  In addition, the molted skin of a cicada is used by the Chinese doctors to expel heat and dissipate wind from human body; ergo, it is effective in relieving sore throat, fever and stomach wind.

(viii) Remedy from cochineal beetle  

The cactus-feeding cochineal beetles are used by medical scientists to produce a homeopathic remedy known as Coccus Cacti which is useful in treating asthma, whooping cough, catarrh as well as urinary tract infections.  The essence is extracted from the beetles and steeped in alcoholic drink and … there you go … bottoms up!

(ix) Green tree ants

Green tree ants are consumed and used by the Australian aborigines for medicinal and salutary purposes.  Green tree ants are particularly useful in curing headaches and relieving colds.  In medicine, they are “processed” and made into cough suppressant and antiseptic.  Their contemporary form of consumption is a refreshing beverage which you can informally call “ant drink”.  Wonder if these ants have any relation to green tea?

(x) Miscellaneous insects

There are various other insects used in modern medicine as well.  To name a few:

a) Centipedes are crushed and prepared in the form of paste for curing migraine, tetanus and snakebite.

b) Grasshoppers, dried and ground into powdery form and mixed with ash and water to produce a natural paste-like remedy for headaches.  It is for application on the forehead to suppress pain.

c) The larvae of leaf miners are mashed into a form of paste for relieving stomach pain as well as fever.

d) Alcoholic beverages mixed with the essences of Chinese Black Mountain Ants are said to have anti-aging effect, plus, they even have the potential to combat cancer.

e) The compounds derived from the skeletons of insects possess the capability to reduce cholesterol and they are even used as anticoagulant medication.

References:

http://www.earthlife.net/insects/cicadidae.html

http://www.chineseherbshealing.com/cicada-molting-chan-tui/

http://www.arborscapesllc.com/current-topics/the-17-year-cicada (image source only)

http://crprintblog.blogspot.com/2010_12_01_archive.html (image source only)

http://www.insects.org/ced1/aust_abor.html

http://velvetescape.com/2009/06/velvet-escapes-culinary-journey-whitsunday-islands/ (image source only)

http://pestcontrol.about.com/od/profileofpests/a/Insects-That-Heal.htm

Insects are usually known to have caused more harm than good to human beings and plants.  But, a medical study done by the American researchers has discovered that one type of insect known as the blister beetle from the family of coleoptera possesses cancer-fighting ability.

Blister beetles, also known as Spanish flies, vary in body color from one to the other.  Some are bright green in color, some are red, yellow, black, and some even have a mixture of two or more colors.  This kind of beetle feeds on honeysuckles, soybeans, potatoes, garden vegetables, fruits, and olives.  Southern regions of Europe and the Western parts of Asia are where these beetles inhabit.

Blister beetles contain cantharidin, a poisonous substance that can cause vomiting, blistering and pain.  However, such substance was extracted and used as aphrodisiac in the olden days.  In the modern era, cantharidin is now used as counteragent in traditional Chinese and Vietnamese medical practices to produce cantharides as counterirritants against warts, in treating kidney damage, diarrhea, urinary tract problem, burns, scalds, insect bites, and even used for treatment of cancer.

Due to the fact that cantharidin has the function of blocking a number of proteins and inducing apoptosis in the body, it serves as a highly potential treatment solution for all kinds of tumor and even the stubborn ones (those that do not respond well to other medicaments).

References:

http://www.doctorshealthpress.com/cancer-articles/cancer-treatment-from-an-unlikely-source-insects

http://www.answers.com/Q/What_does_the_blister_beetle_eat

This dangerous spider is well known due to its poisonous neurotoxins that it ruthlessly injects into their victims which include us humans.  Female black widows are also infamous as they indulge occasionally in sexual cannibalism.  Their name is derived from this grisly act as the female widow may devour her male counterpart directly after mating.

The neurotoxin that these arachnids produce is highly venomous and is known to be 15 times more toxic than a rattlesnake’s.  Humans, when bitten, will very likely experience abdominal pain, intense muscle cramps, vomiting, fainting, and chest pain that can be mistaken for a heart attack.  This is all quite frightening from a tiny spider about 1 inch in length.  However, the chance of dying from a black widow bite is slim for adults.  Children and the elderly on the other hand are much more vulnerable to the effects of the venom and will have more severe reactions to it.

These nasty spiders can be found in every continent excluding Antartica.  Thus, black widows are crawling all over central Asia and South East Asia.  But not to worry, these black widows can be easily identified by a bright red patch that is shaped like an hour-glass on the underside of their black abdomen.  They usually keep to themselves but will bite if aggravated.   Furthermore, black widows mainly feed on insects such as grasshoppers, flies and caterpillars which they trap by spinning sticky webs.

References

http://www.desertusa.com/insects/black-widow-spider.html

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/black_widow_spider_bite/article_em.htm

http://www.livescience.com/39919-black-widow-spiders.html

Following weeks of dry and almost no-rain weather, the fear of the inevitable has struck again right into the hearts of us fellow Malaysians – the outbreak of dengue!  Such fatal widespread disease cases have increased at a horrifying rate throughout the years, ranging from 6,000 cases in 1995 to over 43,000 cases in 2013; 92 deaths were reported in the Year 2013 but, in 2014 from January 1^st to 22^nd alone, there were 6,155 reported dengue cases with 22 deaths up until February 2014.  This deadly epidemic disease is now back and the number of cases is soaring high, let alone the rising death toll.

Despite the always intensive control measures undertaken by the Health Ministry to attempt to contain the virus and to prevent the situation from being worsened (say, fumigation on the streets, residential areas, construction sites, sewage areas, and so forth), the virus can, however, never be completely eradicated so long as there are mosquitoes roaming about.  To effectively minimize and control such health hazard will require the cooperation of both parties, i.e. us and the government, because, only through this way can the result be improved; after all, a tug-of-war requires two teams to pull each end of a rope in order to justify the name of the game.  Hence, besides the government, society at large plays a major role in this as well.

The following are what we can do to help curb the said pest problem:

(i) As we all know, mosquitoes are synonymous with filth in that insanitary and dank areas are their favorite breeding grounds.  Therefore, maintaining a sanitary environment is important — Trash and other waste materials must be properly disposed of; water closets must be kept clean and reasonably dry at all times when not in use; and take heed of stagnant water areas such as a pond, bucket of water, flowerpots, et cetera, for they must be managed well (Empty and change the water in flowerpots, water storage containers, receptacles, vases, and the like regularly on alternate days).

(ii) Periodic organization of public cleaning campaigns is highly encouraged and recommended.  Street cleaning and disposal of scattered garbage piles can be an effective solution to minimizing the dengue problem.  Concentrate on garbage dumps and moist areas for these are the hotbeds for mosquito breeding.

(iii) To avoid infection with breakbone fever as a result of Aedes mosquito bites, it is advisable to use mosquito repellent often and to wear long-sleeved clothing and long pants as added protections.  Moreover, installing mosquito screens in windows and covering your bed with mosquito net when you sleep will help to reduce the risk too.

(iv) Engage a professional pest controller for a more thorough and complete mosquito control solution.

We must disencumber the luxury of our complacency and start acting now before the situation gets even worse.

Contact AntiPest (03-8023 1888) today for a free and non-obligatory consultation and inspection to safeguard the health of your family and your loved ones.  Kindly visit our website at http://www.antipest.com.my for more information.

References

http://www.thestar.com.my/Lifestyle/Health/2014/02/09/The-dengue-menace/

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/dengue-deaths-soar-in-malaysia

http://www.dengue.gov.sg/subject.asp?id=101