Pesticides in "Wild" Feeder Insects
When I feed wild insects to my ants there's always the possibility those insects may have been exposed to pesticides. Collecting insects from areas you know, for sure, are pesticide-free is important. There's no sure way to know wild insects are pesticide-free; feeding insects that were alive and lively when captured is a good start. I never feed insects that I find dead from unknown causes. This is a wise precaution as illustrated by the following example.
Today I went to visit some friends. Entering their house, I couldn't help noticing two black crickets lying dead in the entryway. These crickets are a big favourite of my ants and I could've been tempted to pick them up as we left and give my ants a treat when I got home. When I mentioned the dead crickets to my friend, I was told they probably died from eating some of the poison mouse bait he'd placed around his workshop. Feeding them to my ants would probably have killed them too.
Please be careful when collecting and feeding wild insects to your ants. Feeding insects that were alive, healthy and active when caught is no guarantee that they're pesticide free, but you'll at least avoid feeding contaminated insects like the crickets I could have picked up today.
RPT