Guideline to Eating Bugs for Survival

You may think that eating bugs is a disgusting thing to do; but it can be a big factor when it comes to a life and death situation. Bugs are also a good source of protein, vitamins, and fat that you need to survive. In a survival situation you need to think, stay strong and stay alert all the time, you cannot do all of these things if you are hungry. Remember you are talking about survival; you have to do everything to survive, even eating “disgusting” bugs.

Edible bugs

There are over 1,500 varieties of bugs that are safe to eat. Here is a list of the most common and easy to find edible bugs.

Crickets and grasshoppers

Crickets and grasshopper can be cooked in different ways. You can boil, fry, sauté and roast them, and they taste good. Removing the legs is highly recommended because they add an unpleasant crunch and they don’t have any nutrition in it. These kinds of bugs are difficult to capture because of their ability to jump, you can make some bait to make it easier to catch them.

Crickets and grasshoppers with bright colors are dangerous to eat because they are poisonous and can spit a liquid with a foul odor.

Caterpillars    

There is a small amount of caterpillars that are safe to eat, some caterpillars are poisonous. The Tomato Horn Worm is one of the most common types of caterpillar that is safe to eat. If you have captured some caterpillars do not eat them right away, you have to starve them for a couple of days. Caterpillars sometimes eat tomato leaves which are poisonous, starving caterpillars can remove any trace of these poison. Cooking them is easy; you can fry them in oil. Make sure not to overcook them because they will bust open.

Ants

Ants have different taste and ways of catching them. You have to boil the ants before eating them to remove fungus and parasites. Boiling them can remove the bitter and vinegary tastes which are common to most ants. Ants that eat organic materials such as Leafcutter ants and Carpenter ants have better taste. Although Fire ants can be eaten they are not highly recommended because there are toxins in their bodies that can harm. Also they have painful bites making it hard to catch them.

Termites

These bugs have a nutty flavor when cooked. You can easily find termites because they usually live on rotting woods, all you have to do is crack open or flip a rotting wood and you will find them there. Although the queen termites are considered as a treat, small termites are still the best to eat because they taste better than the larger ones.

Termites are a good source of fat, protein and amino acid which make them a really good survival food. Most termite species have natural oil in their bodies so there is no need for you to add oil when cooking them. (Image Source)

Mealworms

Usually given to chickens as a dietary supplement, mealworms are good for us to eat also. Cooking them is easy, just toast them until they turn brown and add some salt. Make sure to wash them first to remove any dirt and dust. These bugs are not easy to find in the wild, but you can raise them. You can order them and raise them on your own. (Image Source)

Bugs to avoid

-          Avoid brightly colored bugs because they are poisonous.

-          Although caterpillars that have hairy or spiky specimens are not poisonous, it is still highly recommended that you avoid them. They can irritate your throat when you eat them.

-          Avoid bugs that have a strong odor.

-          Do not eat bugs that can be found near cities, towns, or areas with pesticides.

-          Do not eat mosquitoes, flies, ticks and other bugs that are carrying diseases.

-          Avoid bugs with eight or more legs such as spiders, centipedes and scorpions.