DOXCOV ACADEMYHere is a balanced class note on "Useful but Harmful Insects" for BASIC 1, designed for independent study using a Nigerian, hybrid curriculum.
**AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE: Useful but Harmful Insects**
Hello, young farmers! Today, we will learn about some special insects that can be both good and bad for us and our farms. Imagine an insect that helps plants grow but can also hurt you! Let's explore these amazing creatures.
**Core Concepts**
Some insects are like two-sided coins: they have good parts and bad parts. This means they are useful to us in some ways but can also cause harm. Understanding this helps us know how to live with them.
* **1. Bees**
* **Useful:** Bees are super important! They fly from flower to flower collecting sweet nectar to make delicious **honey** that we love to eat. While doing this, they also help plants grow fruits and seeds, a process called **pollination**. Without bees, many of the fruits and vegetables we eat would not grow!
* **Harmful:** Even though bees are helpful, they can sting you if they feel threatened or if you disturb their nest. A bee sting can be painful and cause swelling.
* **2. Locusts (and some Grasshoppers)**
* **Useful:** In some parts of the world, including Nigeria, people catch and eat certain types of locusts and grasshoppers. They are a good source of protein and are considered a tasty meal by many.
* **Harmful:** Locusts can be very destructive. When they gather in huge groups called swarms, they eat almost every green plant in their path. They can destroy entire farms in a short time, leaving farmers with no crops and causing food shortages for people and animals.
* **3. Termites**
* **Useful:** Termites are like tiny cleaners and builders for the soil. They help break down dead wood and leaves, returning important nutrients to the soil, which makes the soil healthy for new plants to grow. Their tunnels also help air and water get into the soil.
* **Harmful:** Termites are famous for eating wood. They can destroy wooden parts of our houses, furniture, and even important farm tools. They also eat living plants and crops, causing great damage to farms.
**Real-World Example**
Think about a farmer's field: **Bees** fly around, helping the maize plants grow strong kernels. But then, a large group of **locusts** might fly in and eat all the green leaves and young maize plants, leaving nothing for the farmer to harvest.
**Practice/Reflection Question**
Look around your home or school compound. Can you identify an insect that you think is useful and another one that might be harmful?