Survival: Insects, Lunch with Crunch

Bugs...The Other Crunchy Meat

On Survivorman, Les Stroud munches on insects to survive. On another similar show on Discovery Channel, Man vs. Wild, ex-SAS member Bear Grylls chows down on larvae with something less than enthusiasm.

Insects are a commonly available, if unappealing, survival food. Most can be eaten raw although cooking is generally preferred with beetles, their grubs, and grasshoppers, to rid them of parasites.

More than 1500 species of insects are deemed edible with a million insects for every person on the plant. For those in a survival situation, many of those edible bugs are easily identifiable....crickets, grasshoppers, cicadas, bee larvae, meal worms and horn worms. You can even acquire crickets, grasshoppers, and meal worms from bait dealers to sample. In fact, earthworms are even edible, especially if set aside in a bed of corn meal for awhile to flush out the grit. In a survival situation, you would hold one end, grasp the worm between the thumb and forefinger of your other hand and run the worm between as you squeeze out the grit.

Beetles and their grubs can be found everywhere. In the woods or grassland, grubs can be found in rotten logs, under sod, or occasionally under rocks. Ants should also be cooked because they can pinch with their mandibles. Ant larvae and eggs of ants and termites make for a quick, nutritious meal.

The larvae of bees and wasps can be accessed by using smoke to stun the adult bees. A beehive will also provide honey and pollen. Use a torch to get at wasp larvae, which would be at best unaffected by smoke. Those with an allergy to bee or wasp venom may need to steer clear of eating the larvae of either insect, although wasp larvae could still be used as fishing bait.

Many, but not all, caterpillars are edible, especially horn worms, hickory horn devil and cabbage worms and loopers. Many can be eaten raw. Avoid any caterpillar with spines of covered with hairs because they might use them to sting you or cause some other unpleasant reaction.

Maggots are also edible and protein-rich, if topping the list of unappetizing.