Bug Buster
Lee Yuet-keung exterminates termites, bakes them in pudding and exhibits their poop. He shares his enthusiasm with HK Magazine.
HK Magazine: How long have you been killing termites?
Lee Yuet-keung: I have been a termite exterminator for 50 years. My appetite for termites is insatiable - people call me the “king of termites,” haha! I am simply fascinated by termites. Look at this nest built layer by layer of termite poop - even the greatest artist on earth cannot produce such a delicate work from shit… And it is highly waterproof. I’ve built a poop gallery in my office. This poop-nest [in picture, above] is 140 pounds and housed 20,000 termites. Look at this huge Reishi mushroom – it was growing on a nest, and it’s edible. In fact, termites are good as a delicacy; we add these protein-rich bugs in puddings, milk tea, congee, and they are yummy.
HK: What do termites feed on? And why are you touching their poop?
LYK: Termite poop is mainly fibers so it's not harmful. Termites mainly feed on wood and paper fibers. I had a case once where the termites ate up a whole bag of cash worth $20,000! To be precise, termites feed on basically everything, including stainless steel, radios, albums… Glass is the only thing they won’t eat. The poop color is determined by what they eat. I have a slightly reddish nest here - the termites were eating red packets, that’s why.
HK: Can termites eat a human?
Lee: If there are a lot of them, yes. Actually, termites do eat dead bodies. Remember, they like wood. They would eat away the coffin and start going for the decaying bodies.
HK: What do you do when you enter a termite-infested place?
LYK: We knock on everything to see if there are termites inside. A wall turns hollow when termites inhabit it. After that, we knock down a small part of it to find the termites and follow their path. The termites usually go in the direction leading to their nest. We follow these innocent little things back to their nest, spray our insecticide and they all die within an hour. People do not need to leave their homes as our insecticide is non-toxic to humans.
HK: Will termites be the next ruler on this planet after humans?
LYK: Just like maggots, they are formed whenever the conditions are right - moisture, darkness and wood. Termites should be symbolized as Gods of Fertility; they produce 2,800-8,000 eggs each time, and some live up to 100 years. Summer proves to be a romantic season for the termites - termites mate between May to July, usually between 7pm-9pm. Things get even steamier when it's raining… But no, termites won’t be ruling the world because locusts will.
HK: What should I do when my home is termite-infested?
LYK: First, do not use pesticides because it will force the termites to disperse and they will be starting nests in different parts of the place somewhere else. Then call the professionals to deal with the problems.