Can You Eat Sand Fleas From the Beach?
WouterWhile they’re small and hard to spot, sand fleas can bite flesh and feed on blood. They remind us of mosquito bites, and are very dangerous to humans. They’re also a cause of sand flea disease, a parasitic inflammatory skin disease caused by female fleas. While you shouldn’t eat them, you should avoid touching them and keep them away from your skin. Sand fleas are a valuable part of ecosystems, and are a vital source of food for other creatures.
Sand fleas make great bait. They can be rigged up and cast out. But make sure that you cook them thoroughly, or they might cause an allergic reaction. If you have an allergy to sand fleas, you should consult an expert before eating them. However, if you’re curious and haven’t eaten them before, you can try them in a variety of seafood dishes.
Sand fleas are sometimes mistaken for insects but they aren’t actually insects. They’re actually tiny crustaceans in the Amphipoda order and belong to the Talitridae family. They’re usually less than an inch long and are very similar to crabs or shrimp. However, they don’t behave like bed bugs, so don’t eat them. They may taste good, but they can cause a host of health problems.
If you decide to cook sand fleas, make sure to thoroughly wash them. You should also cook them to soften their outer shells. Boiling sand fleas will kill the parasites, so it’s important to cook them first.
