Comments on: Learn to Eat Like a Klingon – The Wide World of Worms and Edible Insects http://www.culinarymusings.com/2007/06/learn-to-eat-like-a-klingon-the-wide-world-of-worms-and-edible-insects/ Great Recipes and Culinary Trends Mon, 28 Jun 2010 23:12:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: admin http://www.culinarymusings.com/2007/06/learn-to-eat-like-a-klingon-the-wide-world-of-worms-and-edible-insects/comment-page-1/#comment-370 admin Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:36:54 +0000 http://www.culinarymusings.com/learn-to-eat-like-a-klingon-the-wide-world-of-worms-and-edible-insects/#comment-370 In general, since the invention of the Langstroth movable frame hive in the mid 1800's, killing bees at the end of the season is no longer a common practice. Beekeepers can get into a hive, extract honey, wax, propolis, and even royal jelly, all without killing the whole hive. I am a beekeeper, and I know that building a hive up from scratch in the spring costs a lot of bee resources to build out a new hive. For example, bees will consume about 11 lbs of honey to produce 1 lb of wax. Thus, beekeepers generally consider fully drawn frames of beeswax and strong colonies as a valuable resource for maximizing yields from their beeyards. As far as eating bees goes, I saw an article on TV once about making fried bee larva as a food, so I don't think that bees are toxic. I would imagine that grinding the bees to a paste would also eliminate any problems with the stingers being long enough to still sting. Bees stingers have a little pump attached, so that when a live bee stings you, the pump is actually pulled out of her body and the pump continues to inject the venom into your skin. The pump obviously would not be working in the bee paste, but the venom would still be "in the mix," so if you showed any alergic reaction to bee stings, I would be very cautious about injesting them, in ANY form. In general, since the invention of the Langstroth movable frame hive in the mid 1800′s, killing bees at the end of the season is no longer a common practice. Beekeepers can get into a hive, extract honey, wax, propolis, and even royal jelly, all without killing the whole hive.

I am a beekeeper, and I know that building a hive up from scratch in the spring costs a lot of bee resources to build out a new hive. For example, bees will consume about 11 lbs of honey to produce 1 lb of wax. Thus, beekeepers generally consider fully drawn frames of beeswax and strong colonies as a valuable resource for maximizing yields from their beeyards.

As far as eating bees goes, I saw an article on TV once about making fried bee larva as a food, so I don’t think that bees are toxic. I would imagine that grinding the bees to a paste would also eliminate any problems with the stingers being long enough to still sting. Bees stingers have a little pump attached, so that when a live bee stings you, the pump is actually pulled out of her body and the pump continues to inject the venom into your skin.

The pump obviously would not be working in the bee paste, but the venom would still be “in the mix,” so if you showed any alergic reaction to bee stings, I would be very cautious about injesting them, in ANY form.

]]> By: A.J. http://www.culinarymusings.com/2007/06/learn-to-eat-like-a-klingon-the-wide-world-of-worms-and-edible-insects/comment-page-1/#comment-368 A.J. Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:01:46 +0000 http://www.culinarymusings.com/learn-to-eat-like-a-klingon-the-wide-world-of-worms-and-edible-insects/#comment-368 as you probably know, beekeepers whom are soley raising bees to sell the byproducts? of the bees (wax, honey etc etc) they will kill the bees in the fall.. However, he had said that the vacume cleaner he uses to kill them with, turns them into a mushy substance.. My basic question.. Could someone still dehydrate this substance, or simply add to a protien shake, and bottoms up? What becomes of the stingers? Would they be dangerious to me? Thanks. ps I am interested in adding more protien to my diet, stereotypically when someone want's to add muscle, they eat loads of red meat,? however that is NOT good for you, and I see entomophagy as a healthy choice. as you probably know, beekeepers whom are soley raising bees to sell the byproducts? of the bees (wax, honey etc etc) they will kill the bees in the fall..

However, he had said that the vacume cleaner he uses to kill them with, turns them into a mushy substance..

My basic question..

Could someone still dehydrate this substance, or simply add to a protien shake, and bottoms up? What becomes of the stingers? Would they be dangerious to me?

Thanks.

ps
I am interested in adding more protien to my diet, stereotypically when someone want’s to add muscle, they eat loads of red meat,? however that is NOT good for you, and I see entomophagy as a healthy choice.

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