Ant Larvae

While planting in the greenhouse today I came across a large ant nest inside a pot. Lots of little white larvae. I've read about and watched people eat this in survival books and shows. I've tried it before too, but figured this fit with the theme of the last blog post and was a good opportunity to write about it. Not much to say though. Tastes slightly buttery with a hint of formic acid from the random ants that also made it into my mouth. I suppose there is a fair amount of protein and fat in the larvae and if you get a significant amount, it could provide some nourishment. Just be cautious if you try this with fire ants. I saw Ray Mears demonstrate a method of separating out the larvae from the dirt by way of throwing the whole ant mound onto a tarp with the edges of the tarp folded over a few inches. The ants instantly start working to put the larvae in a safe spot and in a matter of an hour or so they will have moved all the larvae to the shady protection of the folded edges of the tarp. From here, the person can grab a nice handful and chow down. I needed to use the pot for planting that the ants were residing in so I watched them move their young to a new home after disturbing them. Efficient little buggers.