Debugged homes still buzzing

According to odditycentral.com,Terry Prouty, who lives in the US state of Oklahoma, is the proud owner of what might be the largest and most impressive collection of wasps’ nests in the world.

However, this man – who has been studying the insects for 25 years and buys most of his nests online at prices ranging from $10 to $200 (Bt320 to Bt6,400) – has a serious rival in Chiang Mai.

Manop Geepaita runs Bannkad Pochana, which, from the outside, looks pretty much the same as any other noodle shop in Mae Wang district’s busy Bannkad market . Inside, though, a rather curious sight greets visitors. Huge wasp nests that Manop has collected over the last five years hang suspended from the ceiling. 

While some first-time diners are often a trifle apprehensive, fearing that the odd wasp might still be lurking, most are simply intrigued and curious to find out more about the unusual decor.

“Ninety per cent of my customers like them,” Manop says. “People take photos and even ask to buy them, and it always gives me pleasure to talk about them with my customers.”

While he’s had no formal instruction in art, he fell in love with the natural beauty of wasp nests when he was forced to remove one whose occupants were threatening to take over his house. What began as a hobby has become an all-consuming passion.

Gathering the nests involves careful preparation. When he hears about one, he dons protective garb – a thick jacket, crash helmet, gloves and gum boots – and does a quick reconnoitre. Wasps, by their nature, are territorial and don’t take kindly to alien invaders eyeing their homes, so the whole operation carries a certain degree of hazard. 

“I know it’s a bit risky,” Manop says. “My family has warned me not to do it, but neighbours help by telling me about nests they see in the forest. I collect them from there and also from the neighbours’ gardens. So we help each other – I benefit by getting another nest for my collection, and the neighbours benefit by getting rid of an unwanted hazard in their garden. 

“And I do it in a very environmentally friendly way. I don’t just go and smoke the wasps out. Wasp populations periodically outgrow their nests and build new ones, and I try to make sure the old nests are completely deserted before I take them.” 

Despite his precautions, however, wasps have been known to return to their nests even after they’ve been decorated and hung in his own garden, which can obviously be a peril for the artist and his potential buyers.

“I enjoy collecting them and sometimes I sell them, too. I can get Bt4,000 or Bt5,000, which is good money, although they’re not to everybody’s taste.”

Even so, there are lots of people who appreciate the beautiful patterns created by the wasps on the exterior of their nests, as well as the interesting decorations that Manop adds. The nests themselves are actually made of sawdust. The wasps nibble old fence posts and the like and excrete the residue mixed with their saliva to fashion the walls of their nests.

Discerning art buffs travel to Chiang Mai from all over Thailand looking for unusual decorations for their homes, items that will be interesting conversation pieces. And as Manop’s fame spread, his prices rose accordingly. One huge nest, tastefully decorated with the corpses of some of its former inhabitants who were a bit slow moving out when Manop harvested it, was sold recently for a princely Bt7,000, while another decorated with an old musket fetched Bt10,000. 

Antique rifles are rare in themselves, though, so Manop uses as a substitute the rather dangerous long-barrelled rifles that hilltribe people make by hand for hunting.

In addition to the commercial aspect of Manop’s activities, there is a strong spiritual side too. Phra Kru Intakunopas, the abbot of nearby Wat Maisawan, blesses each nest before it’s sold.

“There is a belief that wasp nests protect you from evil spirits,” Manop explains. “So, before the sale, I get the abbot to bless each nest to guard the new owner. Thus, in addition to buying a work of art, they’re buying something magical as well.”

If you’d like an interesting addition to your household decor, call Manop at (086) 183 4996 or pop out to his noodle shop in the Bannkad market and have a look at what’s on offer. It could be the start of a whole new hobby.