Health products are quite the rage lately. Everything from bars, to drinks, to supplement pills. These days people will eat just about anything in order to eat organic, slim down or help a cause. Entire grocery stores are dedicated to ultra-healthy foods and ingredients.
There’s an old saying that goes something like this: “If you can’t pronounce what it’s made of, then you shouldn’t be eating it.” Sounds simple enough. Seems like a good rule of thumb. Besides, how healthy can something really be that contains “disodium inosinate” and “disodium guanylate”? (The ranch-flavored sunflower seeds I’m eating as I write this article.)
So for all you health nuts (pun intended) out there, how does these ingredients sound in your next bar product:
- Organic dates
- Peanuts
- Organic agave nectar
- Cocoa powder
- Organic oats
Sound good so far? Let’s continue…
- Chapul cricket flower
- Walnuts
- Flax seed meal
- Salt
Whoa, whoa! Wait a second! Let’s back up there. Chapul cricket flower?! What the heck is that?
Well, it’s as real as it sounds. Chapul (cha-pool) cricket flower is made from real life Jamaican crickets. Or, scientifically known as Gryllus assimilis.
I give to you the Chapul Original Cricket Bar.
Chapul Cricket Bar
The Backstory.
The idea behind grinding down crickets into flour to be used in a protein bar is actually quite complex. Quite global . The mastermind behind the Chapul cricket bar, Pat Crowley, grew up in the cunning wilderness of Arizona. He is even a white-water rafting guide down the Colorado River, the same body of water he grew up exploring as a child. The interesting thing, he explains, is that by the time the river passes through Arizona, Nevada and California it has mostly been used by nearly 30 million people and even more livestock being raised for consumption. The river no longer reaches to the Pacific Ocean.
Fast forward to 2011 when Pat hears a TED talk by Dr. Marcel Dicke on entomophagy. Dr. Dicke’s talk, entitled “Why Not Eat Insects?”, addressed the reasons first-world, developed countries such as the United States should consider introducing insects as a regular source of protein in a daily diet. If we rely on insects, argues the Dr., there will be lesser of a need to raise so many cattle and swine, thereby helping to sustain the rivers.
Pat then coupled the theories and topics that Dr. Dicke covered in his talk with his own understanding of water conservation and consumption, and decided to give it a try. Next thing we know, Chapul bars!
But How Do They Taste?
If you’re already accustomed to eating all-natural, organic products, it honestly taste just like any other bar. To me, it’s not that far off from eating a chocolate flavored LARABAR. It’s a bit cakey in texture, not crunchy or hard. There are only two flavors available, chocolate and Thai, and I’ve only tried chocolate. The retailer where I purchased the bar was selling it for $3.29. I’m no health freak, but I feel that is probably about average for what you’d pay for a similar product. Plus, 10% of the profits from each bar help fund water sustainability projects along the Colorado River.
If you honestly didn’t know what was inside, you’d think it was just another food bar. Except this one helps to sustain the Colorado River. Oh yeah… it also has crickets inside.
Las Vegas Pest Control Reviews Earn Bulwark an Award!
Super Service Award 2011
Bulwark Exterminating has been awarded the 2011 Angie’s List Super Service Award in Las Vegas for the fourth consecutive year for the branch’s exceptional service and customer service rating.
Angie’s List, the pay-for consumer review website, awards its annual Super Service Award to approximately five percent of its listed businesses. Business operators are rated each year on aspects such as customer reviews, maintaining a limited number of reports and abiding by operational guides.
“It’s a real testament to the hard work and dedication of each of our technicians,” said Branch Manager Wayne Bryant. “We treat every customer like our best and most loyal customer, and they notice the difference.”
Bulwark’s Las Vegas exterminator branch has won the prestigious award since 2008. Since then the branch has seen consistent growth from year to year not just in customer base, but employed technicians and office staff. The Las Vegas valley also presents unique pest problems which are not easily eliminated.
“Scorpions in Las Vegas are the hardest household pest to eliminate,” said Bryant. “It’s quite satisfying to be recognized for our ability to successfully treat the homes of our customers, knowing they have some one of the most challenging pest problems.”
Bulwark Exterminating has been the center of attention in recent online marketing events for their insights on turning satisfied customers into online reviewers. Back in March of this year at the Search Marketing Expo in California, Thomas Ballantyne of Bulwark Exterminating spoke on the correlation between online reviews, customer satisfaction, customer retention, and customer referrals. “The type of behavior that is required to earn an online review is the same behavior that improves customer satisfaction which improves referrals. Our Las Vegas branch scored high in all of these areas. Wayne Bryant is a fantastic leader and motivator.”
Bulwark Exterminating LLC is based in Mesa, AZ and is an industry leader in providing high quality pest control service. Bulwark is fully operational in seven states, including the eleven U.S. cities of Charlotte, Raleigh, Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Atlanta, Tulsa, Mesa, Phoenix, St. George, and Las Vegas. While Bulwark provides pest management for common insects such as ants, roaches, crickets and spiders, the company’s differentiating specialty is scorpion control. To do this, Bulwark uses the finest and most effective products in the world to solve common pest problems. Bulwark is privately and family owned, has approximately 250 employees and services over 50,000 customers nationwide, providing pest control in North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada. Local offices in Las Vegas are located at:
Bulwark Exterminating, 3932 Octagon Road, North Las Vegas, NV 89030
Bulwark Exterminating, 2129 Industrial Rd #203, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89102
Bulwark Exterminating,, 2707 East Craig Road, North Las Vegas, NV 89030
Bulwark Exterminating Earns 2011 Angie’s List Super Service Award
Angie’s List Super Service Award 2011
Bulwark Exterminating has been awarded the 2011 Angie’s List Super Service Award for the company’s excellent customer service rating in Arizona.
Super Service Award recipients have maintained an “A” grade average in Angie’s rating formula. Only an estimated five percent of companies listed on Angie’s List receive the prestigious award on an annual basis. This will be the 3rd time that Bulwark has received the award here in the Phoenix area.
“Our technicians and office staff deserve this award 100%”, said Mesa Branch Manager Joe Davey. “They work tirelessly to ensure the needs of our customers are met day in and day out.”
Bulwark Exterminating services over ten thousands customers valley wide from offices in Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix and Peoria. The family owned exterminating company has made a name in Arizona as the pest control provider in the valley that absolutely guarantees to eliminate scorpions with a money back guarantee. In 2010, 97% of Bulwark’s current customers said they would recommend their pest control services to a friend of family member.
“We appreciate that our customers take the time to recognize the hard work of the technicians that service their homes,” said Davey. “Our techs are the face of Bulwark. Receiving the Super Service Award is an honor and it validates the hard work of our entire staff across the valley.”
While the award went to the Mesa pest control branch of Bulwark Exterminating the owners feel that the award is shared by all of the valley locations as customers on Angie’s list don’t often realize which branch services them.
Phoenix Metro Locations include:
Bulwark Exterminating, 40 N Central Ave #1400, Phoenix, AZ 85004 (602) 652-2251
Bulwark Exterminating, 10401 North 91st Avenue, Peoria, AZ 85345 (623) 572-3016
Bulwark Exterminating, 1228 East Broadway Road Mesa, AZ 85204 (480) 969-7474
Bulwark Exterminating, 18256 E Williams Field Rd # 2 Gilbert, AZ 85295 (480) 539-4933
About Bulwark Exterminating
Bulwark Exterminating LLC is based in Mesa, AZ and is an industry leader in providing high quality residential pest control service. Bulwark is fully operational in seven states, including eleven major cities. While Bulwark provides pest extermination for common insects such as ants, roaches, crickets and spiders, the company’s differentiating specialty is scorpion control. To do this, Bulwark uses the finest and most effective products in the world to solve common pest problems. Bulwark is privately and family owned, has approximately 250 employees and services over 50,000 customers nationwide, providing pest control in Raleigh, NC, Charlotte, Atlanta, Tulsa, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, St. George, UT, Phoenix and Las Vegas. For more information, visit http://www.BulwarkPestControl.com.
