MITYANA, Uganda, May 24 (Xinhua) -- During this time of the year when the rain season is ongoing, villagers in central Uganda go on a trapping spree of white ants locally known as Nswa.
The centuries' old cultural practice, especially among the Baganda people in the central part of the east African country, has now turned commercial as the delicacy is sold on streets, local markets or grocery stores as opposed to a home snack.
You can either eat the ants raw, roasted, boiled or pounded into a paste that is mixed with groundnut or sesame paste.
TRAPPING
Trapping is done during late evening and at night, according to Steven Matege, who has been doing it since his teenage years.
"White ants normally come towards the end of every rainy season. When you go to the anthill, you will find fresh tiny holes, which signify that there is a likelihood of white ants coming out that day," Matege told Xinhua in a recent interview.
Once the tiny holes are spotted, the trapper erects a mesh over the anthill using bendable sticks.
"So you cover the anthill with grass, banana leaves or clothes. However, you leave one opening which brings in light and also acts as an exit for the insects into the trap. Next to the opening you dig a hole, the size of a three-liter mug to act as a trap," Matege said.
When night falls, the trapper comes with a hurricane lantern or lit bundles of reeds, and places it next to the trap thereby attracting the ants.
"Those who are impatient get small sticks and start hitting on the ground nearby the covered anthill. They hit the ground to create the rainfall effect. The ants will then come out and fall into the trap, from which they are picked and put in sacks," Matege explained.
He said on a good harvest, one can get up to 20 kg of white ants.
TO THE MARKET
After the harvest, the ants are taken to the market where they are sold to waiting clients.
In rural areas, the ants are wrapped in a fresh banana leaf and sold by the roadside.
"Wow, these are well prepared. Not even a single particle of soil in them," Samalie Kisakye, a traveler, told Xinhua after buying a pack of dried ants at Namukozi trading center in the central Ugandan district of Mityana.
For the busy clients, they buy the ants, most times fried, during traffic jam. They are packed in silver paper foils in different sizes depending on the client's preference.
"I sell white ants every day whenever their season comes, especially between May and June. In one day I can make a profit of about 30,000 shillings (about 8 U.S. dollars)," Amon Birungi, a white ants vendor in the capital Kampala told Xinhua in a recent interview.
"Back home, I have managed to buy five cows and build a small semi-permanent house. Most of my clients live in the slums of Kampala," he added, explaining how he has used the profit out of selling white ants.
