A high percentage of Peruvian cochineal (natural organic colorant ) comes from insect gathering by small farmer families.
The red dye, carmin red cochineal is obtained from the eggs of the female insect, The total life cycle of females is between 60 to 120 days while the males cycle is 45 to 90 days
Cochineal is the name used to describe both the colour and its raw material source, the dried pregnant females of Dactylopius species of insects, especially D. coccus Costa. The process begins with