Late Boomer's Den

Eaten any bugs lately?

My dad spent a lot of time outdoors and knew a lot about the wildlife of Texas, including the kind of critters most folks just step on or ignore.

Each of those white spots on the lower pad are hiding cochineal bugs, source of an important red dye.

Dad knew which ones were harmful, which ones were useful. He loved seeing ladybugs and praying mantises in the garden. He taught me to be curious.

Once he scraped some white web-like stuff from the pad of a prickly pear cactus with a stick. “Inside each one of those spots is an insect called a cochineal bug. Indians used to get red dye from it.”

Dad didn’t like to squish bugs willy-nilly and neither do I – I’m the kinda guy who rescues insects from scared ladies – but that was a pretty neat discovery.

Sorry little bug. I promise I won’t do it again.

Now when I see those white spots on the pads of a prickly pear, I know what they are. And they’re not just a curiosity. Cochineal bugs are still important.

They’re the source of the natural dye carmine. You probably ate or drank some of it today.

It’s been a source of income in Mexico for a long time apparently. It’s a tradition I hope they can keep alive. Apparently that’s up in the air at the moment.

Interesting video about how cochineal bugs are cultivated in Mexico to produce the natural food dye known as carmine.

Late Boomer

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3 responses to “Eaten any bugs lately?”

  1. Great post! I really enjoyed learning more about the cochineal bugs and their importance as a source of red dye. Have you heard about any recent developments in Mexico regarding the cultivation of these bugs for carmine production? Are there any efforts being made to preserve this important tradition? Thank you for sharing this fascinating information!

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    • Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.
      I actually don’t know more than what I shared. That video was the first time I learned about the cochineal bug industry in Mexico. Before that I only knew they lived on prickly pears, which a lot of people don’t know. Those white spots are pretty inconspicuous. As you can probably tell, my interests are ALL over the place. It’s hard to go in-depth as much as I would like. I think that one would fall under culture, probably my biggest interest right now – but that’s a pretty big umbrella.

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      • Thank you for your reply. Sound like a similar problem I have. A wide range of interests means i never run out of things to be amazed at.

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