Frozen Or Canned Insects

[Nero Egernia]

Has anyone attempted to freeze or can their excess insects? I know pet shops stock canned insects and I remember reading in Danny's book that migratory moths can be frozen. How would one go about canning insects? Are they much different from their live counterparts in terms of nutrition?

I have an opportunity to gather many grapevine caterpillars but despite my having quite a few lizards, they can't eat them all, and the caterpillars don't particularly last long in captivity, as well as I don't have inexhaustible supplies of grapevine leaves.

I might experiment with this a bit and see if I can work something out, at least until the caterpillar season is over.

 

[kingofnobbys]

yep
the insects I regularly freeze are
--- mealworms towards winter ( into a little airtight plastic bottle while still alive ), pour out and thaw on scott-towel as needed , I use these as treats for the local native birds (magpies love them) and for the gang of wild of skinks who live in my garden, under my house and in my shed (they appreciate them , but only get them a couple times a week as they wake up in spring and the bugs are scarce --- mostly to keep them hanging about to control pest insects and spiders).
--- surplus silkworms (blanch, chill, pat dry and freeze on trays the into freezer bags), only my pets get the silkworms.
--- I've frozen surplus adult crickets too, same deal as the mealworms - they thaw OK for the birds and wild skinks.

You'll probably need to blanch and then chill the grapevine caterpillars if they are anything like silkworms (who essentially turn into green mush when frozen then thawed).

I've found I can easily blanch mulberry leaves (60secs in boiling water) the into icewater (to stop the cooking process) and then drain on scot towel and pat dry and into freezer bags , the thawed blanched mulberry leaves are quite ok , I found silkworms will eat them no problem, I just start the hatching worms on chow, and when about 5mm they go to the blanched leaves if I can't source fresh mulberry leaves.
I expect blanching then freezing gravevine leaves will work just as well in you case. Will be interested to hear how you go.