In my search for a pillbug recipe for our contest "Pest or Dinner?" I contacted David George Gordon, author of Eat-A-Bug. Not only does he have an entry to the contest I will be posting soon, he has recommended that if we are going to eat insects to fight depression, that we look for the organic variety.
He states:
A word of caution about collecting and eating pest bugs from one's kitchen. There is always the risk of unintentionally eating minute doses of poison in the process, as man of us use some form of over-the-counter pesticide in our homes. Over time, those small doses can add up- a process known as bioaccumulation- and pose a serious health risk.
And I'll add that it's not just our kitchens we should be concerned about. Be sure to harvest your pillbugs from an organic garden. Collect the carpenter ants from an organic tree or from an attic that has not been sprayed.
Our bodies use nutrients to remove toxins from our organs and tissues, so it would defeat the purpose to use pillbugs as salad toppers if those pillbugs came from a lawn or garden that is sprayed heavily with pesticides and herbicides.
