Quang Tri wasp "hunters" harvest millions of dollars worth of specialty

In village 5, Trung Thuan commune (Quang Tri province), amidst the sound of cicadas in the forest in August, a man named Nguyen Van Dung is diligently working with his "bee swarm", but these are not gentle honey bees but hornets, a species known for its aggressiveness, ready to attack at the slightest disturbance to the nest.

Clip of Trung Thuan commune farmers raising wasps

What’s special is that Mr. Dung doesn’t have to spend money to buy seeds. He goes into the forest, finds large wasp nests, brings back a part of the old nest and puts it in an area where he has prepared food, mainly fresh fish. The worker bees will fly away and build a new nest right in his yard.

Each beehive produces 0.5 - 2kg of pupae, a specialty sought after by diners in many provinces and cities, with a high selling price.

In a year, Mr. Dung can harvest many batches, plus exploiting wild honey, the total income is nearly 100 million VND. Currently, his family has more than 100 of these beehives.

Wasp nests all over Mr. Dung's garden

“It sounds dangerous, but if you understand the behavior of bees and follow the correct procedures, it will be fine. I am planning to expand to 300 hives, choosing an area with lots of trees and water sources for the bees to grow better,” Mr. Dung shared.

Raised by the fence

Mr. Nguyen Van Linh, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Trung Thuan Commune, commented: "This model is creative in that it takes advantage of the natural habits of bees, does not cost seeds, and provides a stable income. We are encouraging people to learn and replicate the model."

Every year, Mr. Dung earns more than 100 million VND from raising killer bees.

The local government is planning to provide technical support and connect outputs so that Quang Tri wasp pupae specialties can reach more markets, from high-end restaurants to e-commerce channels.

MINH PHONG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/tho-san-ong-vo-ve-quang-tri-thu-hoach-dac-san-bac-trieu-post808003.html