It’s always best to get crickets at dedicated farms. Here are some useful tips for freeze-drying several types of insects: Tip #1: Freeze-drying crickets Some insects might need a little more care.Ĭrickets are a popular insect to freeze-dry, and some even claim a simple house cricket is a type of superfood with the amount of nutrition they have, even in just a spoonful.Īside from that, farmers give freeze-dried crickets to their chickens as a treat. The basic steps to freeze-drying insects are to gather the insects, humanely dispatch them via freezing, then freeze-dry and store them until they are needed. Once this is done, put them in the tray and place them in the freeze-dryer. To freeze-dry them, simply gather them and pop them in the freezer for a day or two. It is possible to freeze-dry in this stage. When breeding mealworms or super worms, they go through the pupa phase. Other methods such as blanching, carbon dioxide asphyxiation, and boiling are also possible, but we find freezing them to be the easiest and most humane way of preparing them to be freeze-dried. Freeze larvae first before putting them into the freeze-dryer. If there are insect larvae, it’s best to dispatch the larvae humanely. If they are eggs, they can be put directly into the freeze-dryer. Insect eggs or larvae can also be freeze-dried using a similar method. How to gather and use insects for freeze-drying. Use Gathering Humane Way to End (Prior to Freeze-Drying) Handling before Freeze-Drying Consumption From farms or breed them yourself Put them in containers, then freeze them in a regular freezer first Put them directly on the tray Experiments Anywhere Anesthetize with Nematoda solution Separate them on Petri dishes Table 1. There can be up to five insects per dish, and make sure there is space between the insects.Īfter transferring them, put the Petri dishes in the freeze-dryer and let the freeze-drying process begin. Since the insects are already in a comatose state, they can be transferred onto Petri dishes. Make sure to handle them with care if using them for experiments so none of their limbs will get damaged. Insects will then enter a comatose state, and it will be easy to harvest them either by hand or by vacuum. Once the solution is mixed and ready, spray it onto foliage or anywhere insects might be hiding. Some sites recommend that the mixture has 10% formalin solution, 70% alcohol substitution, and 30% water. Instead, they can be harvested from the backyard by spraying a diluted Nematoda solution. ![]() Meanwhile, if the plan is to freeze-dry the insects for scientific purposes, they don’t need to come from a farm. These insects can last for years if stored properly like any freeze-dried food. Once done, they can be used right away or stored in glass jars. Some insects will be freeze-dried within 48 to 72 hours. Lastly, put them in the trays and let the freeze-drying begin. It is also helpful in preventing insects from jumping off the tray before putting them in the freeze-dryer. This is considered a humane way of ending insects. Freeze the insects in a regular freezer first before putting them in the freeze-dryer tray. This will ensure that they are easily gathered in bulk and don’t carry any pesticides or harmful chemicals. ![]() Now, for the freeze-dried insects to be used for eating, always collect the insects from a dedicated farm or breed them yourself. Then, place the frozen insects on trays and put them in the freeze-dryer to run. Next, humanely dispatch them by putting them in a regular freezer for at least 10 minutes. How To Prepare Insects to be Freeze-Dried It’s surprising how much freeze-dried insects benefit our animal friends and us. This article will guide us through what types of insects can be freeze-dried, how to do it, and how to use freeze-dried bugs for our own consumption or as treats for animals. It can be as simple as putting them into the freeze-dryer, or they can be frozen first and then popped into the freeze-dryer later. Other people use freeze-dried insects as a special treat for their farm animals or even pets like hedgehogs and reptiles.įreeze-Drying insects is like freeze-drying any other food. Did you know the freeze-dryer can also freeze-dry insects? Why would anyone want to freeze dry bugs? Some people like to eat freeze-dried insects.
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