On Fri, 26 Jan 2001 17:42:17 -0500 judy genova <[log in to unmask]> writes: Does anyone know if these critters are > safe for humans to eat? Has anyone tried them? Are they > essentially the same as maggots? Ardeith writes: Mealworms are the larval form of a beetle of the genus Tenebrio......eat grain products......I used to run a pet shop and raised them in cornmeal.....they just spent their days eating their way through the pan.....will morph into little beetles if not fed to birds or lizards or such beforehand.......but the beetle stage is necessary to get more little mealworms................should be as safe to eat as any other critter that eats corn and grains.....such as deer, squirrels, birds, cows, and pigs..........have no idea what they would taste like..........but I have a "recipe" for earthworms that says to put them in a pan of dampened cornmeal for several days before you plan to cook them..... they fill up with cornmeal and, if fried, are crunchy..... .......but I've never had the fortitude to try it...... [log in to unmask] Walk The Path With Practical Feet! ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.