Insects not only provide protein for human health, they also contribute to wealth by creating highly profitable businesses.

The verdant mountains and expansive forests of Anlong county, Qianxinan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture, Guizhou province, are ideal for breeding wasps, whose pupa are favored by consumers. The insects can also be used to brew white liquor, or baijiu.

Deng Zhimei, 46, a villager in the area, used to earn a living by fishing. After learning from neighbors about the lucrative business of breeding wasps, she decided to change jobs in 2017. Three years later, after fully familiarizing herself with rearing techniques, Deng launched a wasp farm near a river in her hometown.

She sells colonies of wasps, with each colony valued at 800 to 1,200 yuan ($111 to $167), and queen wasps, worth 50 to 80 yuan. Her annual revenue is about 1 million yuan.

Initially, Deng was occasionally stung due to her lack of experience in handling wasps. "I was upset seeing the red, swollen rashes and scars left on my hands, but I told myself that every effort can pay off," she said.

"A colony of wasps produces about 30 kilograms of pupas, which can be sold for about 6,000 yuan. The revenue from adult wasps that are used to brew baijiu may surpass 10,000 yuan, resulting in a considerable economic return," she said.

Last year, after Deng's wasps died from an illness, she strengthened ventilation management at her greenhouse and asked visitors to strictly obey the rules for admittance. This year, the wasps have remained healthy.

"Wasps have high medicinal and edible value, but the supply cannot meet market demand. Many clients come to purchase them at my house," Deng said, adding that she plans to sell fried and frozen pupas in the future.

Deng and her partners take care of wasps in artificial hives and forests. They are now preparing to help the insects survive the winter by building specially designed wooden tubes to provide warmth for them.

Yang Chaolei, who learned to rear wasps from Deng, said that if managed properly, each colony can produce income of about $10,000 yuan. He said it is an extremely promising industry with little investment, a quick return and high profit.

In Kaili, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture, fried grasshopper is a popular dish. Since 2019, residents of Mianhua village, Kaili, have been encouraged to breed grasshoppers to increase their income, and the village now boasts three greenhouses to breed the insects.

Liu Kaifu, an official in Kaili, said farmers initially used 150 kg of forage plants to feed the wasps each day, but when they grew to 2 to 3 centimeters, the amount of fodder was increased to 450 kg.

"Compared with wasps, grasshoppers are viewed more as snacks to accompany liquor, so their nutritional value is not as important as that of wasps. Grasshoppers sell for about 80 yuan per kg," Liu said, adding that they are mainly bought by residents in surrounding villages and hotels in urban areas of Kaili for weddings and funerals.

Although sales are good, costs are a little high, as grasshoppers need a lot of fodder, he said, adding that the insects will not be fed wild grass, as it lacks nutrition and may contain pesticide.

According to a report from the UN Food and Agricultural Organization in 2013, gathering and rearing insects offers important livelihood diversification strategies, as minimal technical or capital expenditure is required to buy basic rearing and harvesting equipment.

"Insects can be gathered in the wild, cultivated, processed and sold by the poorest members of society, such as women and landless people in urban and rural areas. These activities can directly improve diets and provide cash income through the selling of excess production as street food," the report said.

Wang Jin in Guiyang contributed to this story.