TL;DR
Insects are the most consistently available animal protein source in most of North America from late spring through early fall. They require no trapping equipment, no hunting skill, and minimal processing. The barrier is psychological. Get past that barrier in training — not in an actual emergency when protein deficiency is already affecting your judgment.
The Nutritional Case for Insects
The caloric and nutritional math favors insects in a survival scenario:
- Protein density: Dried crickets contain 60-70g of protein per 100g. Dried beef contains roughly 80g. The gap is much smaller than most people expect.
- Fat: High in unsaturated fat. Good caloric density.
- Micronutrients: Higher in iron, zinc, and B vitamins than most plants.
- Collection efficiency: 30 minutes of collecting grasshoppers in a productive meadow can yield 500-1,000 calories.
The main limitation is fat content in lean seasons. Insects collected in early spring are lower in fat than late-summer insects. This parallels the seasonal cycle of most food sources.
The Identification Rule
Apply the same caution as plant identification:
Default AVOID:
- Brightly colored insects (orange, red, yellow, blue) — warning coloration indicates toxicity
- Hairy or fuzzy caterpillars — hairs contain urticating chemicals
- Insects that sting (bees, wasps, hornets, fire ants)
- Any insect that smells strongly or secretes fluid when threatened
Default SAFE for most people:
- Crickets and grasshoppers
- Mealworms and other beetle larvae (grubs)
- Termites
- Ant larvae (white grubs found in ant chambers)
- Earthworms (technically not insects but nutritious)
Crickets (Gryllus spp. and related)
Where to find: Under rocks, logs, and bark in warm weather. In tall grass and meadow edges. In basements and outbuildings. Most active at dusk and at night — follow the chirping.
Collecting: Roll logs and rocks and pick up by hand. A container with a small opening lets crickets jump in but makes escape difficult. At night, funnel with a flashlight and container.
Preparation:
- Purge (optional but recommended): Keep live crickets for 24-48 hours with water but no food. This empties their gut.
- Kill by freezing or in boiling water.
- Remove wings, legs, and head (the head and gut are the most likely to contain parasites or taste bitter).
- Roast in a dry pan or over fire until crunchy — this kills remaining pathogens and improves flavor dramatically.
- Season and eat as-is, or grind into flour for use in recipes.
Caloric value: Approximately 120 calories per 100g fresh; 500+ per 100g dried.
Grasshoppers and Locusts
Where to find: Meadows, fields, roadsides, and grasslands from June through October. Most abundant in late summer.
Collecting: Early morning when cold — they are sluggish. A sweepnet (canvas bag on a frame) dragged through tall grass can collect dozens per minute. By hand in rocky areas where they bask.
Preparation:
- Remove wings and hind legs (the spiny legs can irritate the throat).
- Roast directly over fire on a stick, or in a dry pan.
- Eat roasted or grind into flour.
Many cultures that eat grasshoppers traditionally remove the head (gut) to reduce any digestive residue from the grasshopper's last meal.
Beetle Larvae / Grubs
Where to find: In and under rotting wood. A freshly fallen dead hardwood log is productive — work through it with a knife or stick. Palm-sized white to cream grubs (often banded) are the larvae of various wood-boring beetles.
Also in soil under decomposing organic matter, compost heaps, and root zones.
Preparation:
- Kill by freezing or boiling.
- Clean: Remove the dark-colored gut material if desired (squeeze from the tail end like a tube of toothpaste).
- Roast in a pan or on a hot rock. They release fat as they cook — like tiny sausages.
- High fat content makes them the most calorie-dense insects available.
Caloric value: 200-400 calories per 100g fresh — very high fat content.
Termites
Where to find: In rotting wood, in underground colonies accessible at soil surface. Termite mounds are visible in the Southeast and Southwest.
Collecting: Break open rotting wood and expose the gallery. Large numbers in a small space. Collect into a container. For winged alates (the reproductive swarm), collect during swarms (typically after spring or fall rains).
Preparation:
- Remove wings.
- Roast or eat raw (termites are traditionally eaten raw in many cultures; roasting is safer and improves flavor).
Caloric value: Roughly 350-600 calories per 100g dried.
Ants and Ant Larvae
Where to find: Ant colonies in soil and under rocks. Ant larvae (the "eggs") are the white, smooth, oval-shaped grubs in the colony.
Collecting: Dig into an active colony and quickly scoop the larvae before adults can remove them. The larvae are carried to depth by workers — work fast.
Preparation:
- Rinse off soil.
- Roast or boil.
Note: Many ant species produce formic acid as a defensive compound. Cooking neutralizes this. Raw ant ingestion in large quantities may cause stomach upset from formic acid. Cook them.
Earthworms
Where to find: Moist soil after rain. Under rocks, logs, and leaf litter. Gardens and forests.
Collecting: After rain, surface collection is straightforward. Otherwise, dig in moist soil.
Preparation:
- Purge: Keep in clean moist soil (or damp cloth) for 24-48 hours to empty gut.
- Rinse thoroughly.
- Boil or roast. Do not eat raw — earthworms can carry parasites and bacteria.
- Dried worms can be ground into a paste or flour.
Caloric value: Approximately 80 calories per 100g fresh.
Overcoming the Psychological Barrier
The largest barrier to insect consumption is cultural conditioning, not physical — insects taste far better than most people expect, particularly when roasted.
The practical approach for preppers: eat prepared cricket flour protein bars, roasted crickets from commercial sources, and mealworms from pet food stores routinely, before any emergency arises. This normalizes the experience. When you need the calories, the decision has already been made.
Countries where insect eating is normal include Mexico (chapulines = grasshoppers), Thailand (fried insects are street food), parts of Africa (termites, caterpillars), and many others. Two billion people eat insects regularly. The Western aversion is the exception, not the rule.
Insect Nutritional Summary
| Insect | Protein (dried) | Fat (dried) | Calories (per 100g dry) | |--------|----------------|-------------|------------------------| | Cricket | 60-70g | 15-25g | 450-500 | | Grasshopper | 50-75g | 7-20g | 400-450 | | Mealworm | 50-60g | 25-35g | 475-525 | | Beetle grub | 15-30g | 40-60g | 450-550 | | Termite | 25-38g | 28-38g | 400-500 | | Earthworm | 60-70g | 6-10g | 280-350 |
Sources
- FAO - Edible Insects: Future Prospects for Food and Feed Security
- Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio - Man Eating Bugs: The Art and Science of Eating Insects
- U.S. Army Survival Manual FM 21-76
Frequently Asked Questions
Are North American insects safe to eat?
Most are, with some precautions. Avoid brightly colored insects — bold colors often indicate toxicity as a warning to predators. Avoid insects that sting or bite (bees, wasps, fire ants). Avoid hairy caterpillars — the hairs can irritate the digestive tract. Roasting or cooking kills most pathogens and parasites. Raw consumption should be limited to known safe species.
How much protein do insects provide?
Insects are competitive protein sources. Dried crickets contain 60-70% protein by weight. Mealworms contain 50-60% protein dried. Grasshoppers 50-75% dried protein. These figures rival lean beef (~25% protein fresh, ~70% dried). The fat profile is also favorable — high in unsaturated fatty acids similar to fish.
What is the most calorie-efficient insect to collect?
Termites, carpenter ant alates (winged reproductives), and beetle larvae (grubs) offer the best calorie-per-effort ratio because they are found in concentrated colonies or caches. A single rotting log can yield hundreds of beetle larvae in minutes.