CityNews – As the rainy season begins, many vendors will be selling a delicacy that marks the change of season, the Carebara ant.
The rainy season marks a special time of year for ant foragers around the country. The delicious and nutritious Carebara ants, sometimes referred to simply as “subterranean ants,” and called Maengman in Thai, emerge from their underground homes to breed and to escape the excessive moisture that floods their nests.
According to vendors, the prices of Carebara ants can fluctuate depending on how many are harvested. On average, the ants are sold at 50 baht a cup and between 400-500 baht per kilogram.
Harvesters use special methods to coax the ants from their homes immediately following a rainfall, and many areas are known to be breeding grounds for Carebara ants in public parks and forests around Chiang Mai.
One method of capturing the Carebara ant is to attract it with candles during the night. The ants are attracted to the light and emerge from their homes. Because the Carebara ant can be exceptionally difficult to catch, harvesters can charge high prices for the edible bugs.