Move over Kibbles ‘n Bits, here comes Cricket Crunch. Insect dog food is taking off, packed with protein from crickets, mealworms, and black fly larvae. That means Fido’s dinner might start looking suspiciously like the bottom of your bug zapper, and this is considered some bougie high-quality dog food.
You know you’re dog will eat just about anything. Food that falls off the table becomes a free-for-all, and if you’re not fast enough, you just lost your dinner. Outside, your dog is eating everything from snails to caterpillars, and even bees.
The pitch is sustainability. Insects take a fraction of the resources to farm compared to beef or lamb. A kilo of insect protein makes way less CO2 than beef, lamb, or soy. Owners get to feel good about saving the planet while their dog wonders why they’re pouring them a bowl of “Mealworm Medley” or “Black Fly Down.” He’s scratching his head, thinking, “Cool story, bro. But where’s the steak?”
Pet food startups are cashing in fast. One UK company tripled its revenue last year, proving that people will do anything for their dogs, even if it means buying a bag of crickets that costs more than their own groceries.
Imagine the cost of inventory. All a company has to do is set up traps around the property and give the insects reasons to come. Oddly enough, crickets are already drawn to high-quality dog food. So, win-win. All mealworms need is a dark and damp place to hide, and the dog food company has just cut production costs considerably. Package it and ship it off. If you build it, they will come.
If you are not bougie like that, you can skip the fancy packaging and set up a food supply farm on your own. Just turn your backyard into an insect playground and watch dinner crawl right to you. Your neighbors might not come around anymore, and you might creep out any friends you thought you had. But imagine how happy your wallet will be when you stop buying pet food at the grocery store.
By 2030, demand for insect protein is expected to hit half a million tons, with 30 percent of that going into high-quality dog food. That’s a lot of bugs. Honestly, the real winners here might be the flies who are finally getting the attention they’ve been buzzing about for years.
So what’s next? Organic Grasshoppers, now in Sweet Potato Glaze. And don’t be surprised if Rover suddenly develops a habit of attacking the porch light, not just for fun but for snacks.
Before you start the insect farm, check out this high-quality pet food your animals will love!
