Crickets May Be The Answer In A Desparate Situation

Mar 25
09:02

2010

Eric Davis

Eric Davis

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Crickets live in shallow tunnels dug beneath stones or dirt or in clumps of plant matter. Males can often be heard calling females for mating at night when they are more active. While most varieties are found in forests and grasslands, crickets can also be found in marshes and seashores as well as caves and trees.

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Crickets live in shallow tunnels dug beneath stones or dirt or in clumps of plant matter. The males can often be heard chirping at night when they are more active. This noise is how they attract females for mating. While most varieties are found in forests and grasslands,Crickets May Be The Answer In A Desparate Situation  Articles crickets can also be found in marshes and seashores as well as caves and trees.

TELLING THE TEMPERATURE WITH A CRICKET You can use the sound of a cricket as a thermometer. Crickets won't chirp if it is warmer than a hundred degrees or less than 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Count the number of chirps sounding in a 15 second span of time. Add 40 to the number of chirps you hear. The result is the temperature in Fahrenheit. If you wish to know the temperature in Celsius, determine the number of chirps you hear in 25 seconds, divide that number by 3 and then add 4.

USE CRICKETS TO CATCH FISH Using crickets as live bait, you can catch fresh fish. Cricket fishing is most effective in small lakes and within 15 feet of shore.

Secure your hook to the fishing line and then place the cricket onto the hook. Hold the cricket firmly between your thumb and fingers while you insert the hook held in your other hand. There is one line of thought that states the hook should be inserted into the thorax, behind the head, threaded through the length of the body and exit through the rear, just beneath the tail. This is in contrast to experienced fishermen that state the hook should be inserted at the rear, threaded through the body and exit just behind the head, through the thorax. This method keeps fish from sucking the cricket off of the hook, robbing you of your meal AND your bait.

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A discarded can will serve well as a fishing reel. Anchor the free end of your fishing line and cast the baited hook into the water. Wrap your line around the can to bring the hook back. Continue casting and reeling in your line until you've caught a fish.

AS A FOOD SOURCE Crickets reproduce twenty times faster than cattle raised for food. Over the span of three or four weeks, over 1,000 eggs can be laid by a female. Other forms of livestock require much more space and food than is required to raise healthy crickets. These insects are twice as efficient at meat production as pigs or chickens. They are able to provide meat at four times the rate of sheep, and six times the rate of cattle when allowances are made for carcass trim and dressing.

Crickets as a food source can offer a significant source of many nutrients and protein. One hundred grams of cricket meat contains 3% carbohydrate, 6% fat and 21% protein in addition to 21 mgs calcium. For each gram dry weight of cricket meat there is 63 to 122 milligrams of fatty acid (linoleic acid & a0linolenic acid), copper, magnesium and iron. This is produced while they consume table scraps.

CRICKET HARVEST Paiute people would dig a series of large trenches in order to catch crickets. This was covered with straw that was dry. Then the crickets would be driven into the trenches. The straw was then set aflame, roasting the crickets alive. Bushels of the roasted crickets were then gathered to be ground into flour used to bake protein-rich bread.

FARMING CRICKETS One way to ensure a ready supply of crickets that have not been exposed to chemical sprays is to raise your own. Put about two inches of soil in the bottom of a large aquarium. Place egg cartons inside for roosts. Wet cotton balls will provide a source of water. Grated vegetables and scraps of grains should be left inside for food. Every few days, mist the soil lightly. Crickets are determined escape artists that will try to get away whenever you open the lid. Make sure the lid fits securely.

PREPARING TO EAT Place the crickets in a container with drain holes like a colander. Use cheesecloth or wire screening to quickly cover this and keep the insects contained. Rinse them thoroughly by running water over them. Shake the colander to remove excess water. Seal the crickets in a container and place this in the freezer for 15 minutes. Within fifteen minutes, your crickets will be dead but not frozen. Remove them from the freezer and rinse them again. Depending on your personal preference, the legs, wing cases and heads can be removed. The legs can be painful to swallow and will sometimes get stuck in the teeth. Crickets can be consumed raw, but they can also be dehydrated or roasted and incorporated into your recipes.

TAKE PRECAUTIONS Whatever your method, care should be taken when harvesting crickets for food. Avoid those found near or in residential areas as these might have been exposed to chemical insecticides or herbicides.