The Mexican Jumping Bean

GENERAL INFORMATION

THE BEANS

THE MEXICAN JUMPING BEANS (LASPEYRESIA SALTITANS) COME FROM THE MOUNTAINS IN THE STATES OF SONORA AND SINALOA MEXICO. THEY CAN BE FOUND IN AN AREA THAT IS 30 MILES BY 100 MILES WHERE THE HOST PLANTS (SEBASTIANA PAVONIANA) GROWS.

IN THE SPRING, THE MOTHS EMERGE FROM LAST YEARS BEANS AND DEPOSIT THE EGGS ON THE FLOWERS OF THE HOST PLANTS (ACTUALLY TREES). THE EGG BURROWS ITS WAY INTO THE SEED AND SETS UP HOUSEKEEPING. THE EGG TURNS INTO A LARVA WHICH EATS THE SOFT TENDER HEART OF THE BEAN.

BY THE TIME THE MONSOON RAINS COME IN JULY, THEY HAVE EATEN ALL THE BEANS TENDER INNARDS. THERE ARE 3 BEANS IN A POD AND IT IS COVERED BY A THIN SKIN, SIMILAR TO WALNUTS. THE TREES NEED ABOUT 20 DAYS TO SOAK UP ENOUGH WATER TO CAUSE THE SKIN TO DISGORGE THE BEANS, AGAIN SIMILAR TO THE WALNUTS.

THEIR JUMPING IS A SURVIVAL MEASURE, THE HEAT IS THEIR ENEMY. THEY JUMP TO ESCAPE THE HEAT AS IT WOULD DEHYDRATE AND KILL THEM. THEY SEARCH FOR A COOL DAMP PLACE TO SURVIVE UNTIL SPRING.

MANY YEARS AGO, THE BEAN HARVEST WAS OVER 12 MILLION BEANS PER YEAR, NOW IT IS ABOUT 1/5 THAT MUCH. THE SCARE OF INFESTATION AT THE VARIOUS BORDERS HAS MADE EXPORTATION MORE DIFFICULT. THE PICKERS NOW ARE MOSTLY SENIOR CITIZENS.

TESTING THE BEANS

FIRST TEST IS TO A FEW BEANS IN YOU HAND AND THEN SHAKE THEM NEAR YOUR EAR. IF THEY RATTLE THEY ARE DEAD.

SECOND HOLD THEM IN YOUR HAND UNTIL YOU FEEL THEM THUMP IN YOUR HAND. AT 98.6 DEGREES F. THEY SHOULD BE ACTIVE.

THIRD CUT ONE OPEN TO VIEW THEIR STATE OF HEALTH. IF THEY ARE LIGHT GREEN, THEY ARE IN GOOD HEALTH. IF THEY HAVE STARTED TO TURN BROWN ON THE ENDS, THE ARE DYING.
AN INTERESTING THING HAPPENS, THE LARVA WILL USUALLY SPIN A WEB
AND SEAL UP THE HOLE CUT IN THE SIDE OF THE BEAN.

STORAGE OF THE BEANS

AFTER NUMEROUS EXPENSIVE LOSSES, WE DEDUCED THAT THE ONLY HOPE FOR EVERYONE'S BENEFIT WAS TO PUT THEM IN COOL STORAGE LIKE ALL PERISHABLE PRODUCTS. THEY SHOULD BE KEPT AWAY FROM HEAT. TO PUT THEM INTO HIBERNATION. THEY ARE STORED AT BETWEEN 45 TO 50 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. FREEZING WILL KILL THEM INSTANTLY. THINK OF THEM LIKE A FLASHLIGHT, YOU TURN OFF THE ENERGY DRAIN OF JUMPING BY PUTTING THEM IN A COOL ENVIRONMENT. SPRAYING THE BEANS WITH A LITTLE WATER IS A WASTE OF TIME. TO REPLENISH THEIR WEIGHT LOSS DUE TO DEHYDRATION, YOU HAVE TO SOAK, SUBMERGE THEM IN DE-CHLORINATED WATER FOR ABOUT 5 HOURS,ONCE EACH MONTH. (LET THE FAUCET WATER STAND FOR 5 HOURS, FIRST.) I BELIEVE THAT TO OPTIMIZE THE ENJOYMENT, NEARLY EVERY HOME HAS A GOOD STORAGE PLACE, NAMELY THE BUTTER COMPARTMENT IN THEIR
REFRIGERATOR.

MISCELLANEOUS

*	THE MEXICAN JUMPING BEAN IS UNDOUBTEDLY AMONG ONE OF OUR CREATOR'S BEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS. I MARVEL DAILY AT THE CREATIONS AROUND US. THE FANTASTIC FLOWERS, THE ABUNDANCE OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES THAT ENABLE US TO EAT HEALTHY FOODS, THE WIDE VARIETY OF ANIMALS, BIRDS AND INSECTS (MANY OF WHICH I COULD DO WITHOUT), THE VARIETY OF TREES THAT ENABLE US TO BUILD HOMES AND FURNITURE, AND WE CAN NOT FORGET THE WONDERS OF THE LIFE FORMS OF THE OCEANS, AND MUCH, MUCH MORE. HOWEVER, THE MEXICAN JUMPING BEAN UNDOUBTEDLY GIVE MORE PLEASURE AND INTRIGUE FOR THE MONEY THAN ANY OTHER CREATION.
*	LIFE EXPECTANCY: IT IS DEPENDENT ON THEIR ENVIRONMENT. AT 120 + DEGREES F., THEIR LIFE IS LIMITED TO 2 OR 3 DAYS. AT ROOM TEMPERATURE OF 68 DEGREES F. IT IS LIKELY 2 TO 3 MONTHS. AT 45 TO 50 DEGREES F. IT IS LIKELY CLOSE TO A YEAR. FREEZING WILL KILL THE LARVA.
*	STORE EXCESS INVENTORY AT AROUND 50 DEGREES FOR BEST SHELF LIFE.
*	REGRETTABLY, THEY ARE DOOMED WHEN THEY LEAVE THEIR NATURAL HABITAT IN MEXICO. THERE ARE NO HOST PLANTS THAT WILL PERMIT THEM TO CONTINUE THEIR LIFE CYCLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT WILL KILL THEM FROM HEAT, DEHYDRATION, FREEZING. THE MOTH SHOULD BE PERMITTED TO FLY FREE IF THEY EMERGE FROM THE BEAN. A SCENIC TRIP AS IT WERE.
*	THE U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE HAVE TESTED OUR BEANS AND DECLARED THEM A CLASS "C" PEST WHICH IS NOT HAZARDOUS TO FORESTRY OR AGRICULTURE.
*	WE HAVE SO FAR HAD NO PROBLEMS SHIPPING THE MEXICAN JUMPING BEANS TO ABOUT A DOZEN OTHER COUNTRIES. WE INCLUDE A COPY OF THE REPORT FROM U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SO THEIR CUSTOMS CAN GET THE REASSURANCE THEY NEED.
*	THEIR GREATEST HAZARD IN OUR NORMAL ENVIRONMENT IS DEHYDRATION. THEIR ENERGY LEVEL CAN BE ENHANCED WITH AN OCCASIONAL DOUSING OF WATER.
*	THE WAY WE TEST A SMALL QUANTITY OF BEANS IS TO HOLD THEM IN OUR HAND AND SHAKE THEM CLOSE TO OUR EAR. IF THEY RATTLE, THEN THE BEANS THAT RATTLE ARE DEAD. I FREQUENTLY CUT SOME OPEN TO EXAMINE THEIR STATE OF HEALTH. WHEN THEY ARE A LIGHT GREEN ALL OVER, THEY ARE IN GOOD CONDITION. WHEN THEY ARE STARTING TO DIE, THEY TURN A LITTLE BROWN ON THE ENDS.
*	TO GET THEM MOST ACTIVE, YOU CAN HOLD THEM IN YOUR PALM WHICH IS HOPEFULLY 98.6 DEGREES AND YOU WILL FEEL THEIR JUMPING. DOING THAT WILL ENABLE YOU TO GET BETTER PERFORMANCE ON THE GAME CARDS.