Wisconsin DNR Says Don’t Steal Cicadas & Here’s Why (It’s Gross)

Those pesky cicadas are starting to die off, but they're still kicking around enough for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to warn.

The warning is that stealing insects, even cicadas, is not okay from their forests.

It's important to note that poaching or harvesting cicadas from state lands is not just a casual offense, but a serious illegal act, as stated by WISN.

Someone came from out of state to witness the cicada madness firsthand and was dismayed when she found out people were "collecting cicadas by the bucketful, presumably to eat them."

The potential health risks of consuming these insects, especially those harvested illegally, should be a cause for concern.

Somebody help me.

It's truly baffling to think that someone would want to eat these things.

Maybe it's because websites like The Food Dawg's Digest tout cicadas as "containing 21.4 g of crude protein per 100 g, approximately 1.6% more than that found in pork and eggs."

But does it matter that cicadas offer more protein than a scrambled egg or a pork chop?

This group of cicadas has been underground for 17 years, covered in dirt and other nasty bug stuff.

Consuming them could lead to health risks such as allergic reactions or food poisoning, as if you or I needed any other reasons to hold off on cicada appetizers.

Besides, eating cicadas sounds like something straight out of the apocalypse, and as far as I know, the world isn't ending, so I guess I'm going to wait this one out.