In permaculture we have a principle that states: The problem is the solution. I could write the next week’s worth of tips just on that topic alone. However today’s tip will use this principle with pest management, specifically to invertebrates such as termites, grasshoppers, ants, and cockroaches. These guys are more than likely going to be part of your system weather you designed it that way or not. Figuring a way to work with them to benefit our system would prove wise. Not only is trapping a good idea to get them out of the places where we did not want them, but all of the traps listed below can be used to feed aquaculture.
Setting a trap for:
Termites – 3/4 bury a 50 gallon drum and punch holes to perforate the buried part. Then we can fill that drum with paper, old wood, cardboard, and straw and then water it. Termites will invade and we can then sieve the remains for them every 1-2 weeks.
Grasshoppers – Yellow, or more specifically buttercup yellow, will attract grasshoppers. We can create small plastic traps like the image below. Even easier if we set small floating yellow rafts in ponds. This will attract the grasshoppers to jump towards it and when placed correctly they will be too far in the pond for them to make it to the raft, or too far away creating an easy renewable fish feed.
Ants – A pile of fresh bones will attract a large number of both ants and flies. Bones placed in shallow container will yield multiple harvest of ants daily.
Cockroaches – Piles of rough mulches on top of veggie scraps and sprinkles of flour will attract cockroaches and spiders to the piles. We can think of this as an apartment with free food for them. If we range ducks through the pile while turning it every few days then the pests turn into duck food, which then stimulates plankton growth in ponds from duck manure. The roaches and spiders can be harvested for fish food as well.
