Insect hordes force man to flee his home
Tiny beetles repeat their annual invasion
By Prasit Tangprasert
Chian Sinachai dreads the rainy season. That's when his house is taken over by armies of black-winged insects. Early rain this year brought no mercy. Once again, his small wooden house in tambon Suranaree of Muang district was overrun.
Known locally as Songkran Beetles or Mod Paeng, the insects are not uncommon, but it is not every day that they take over homes.
Mr Chian, 67, is moving to stay with a relative to get away from the insects, which he said are more harmful than they appear to be.
The insects first stormed his house in May 2005, disappearing at the end of the rainy season, a pattern repeated each year since. He recalls his disgust at the sight of thick bands of insects swarming over his pillows, bed and floor one morning three years ago.
''Millions and millions of them come,'' he said of the insects no bigger than a grain of rice.
He said they were a health threat because the stinking fluid they secrete is so acidic that it burns skin. He is unable to bathe or eat in the house because of skin irritation.
The fluid, he said, can even damage the paint of a car.
He said he has tried all repellent methods imaginable, including insecticide, but to no avail. He tried mixing liquor, a natural extract and vinegar together, but the formula, recommended by an agriculture specialist, was no use.
He also released insect parasites, called tua bian, in his garden in hope of eliminating the beetles. It did not work.
The homeowner said he does not know why the beetles choose his house.
''Please help me. I will pay whatever money I have,'' Mr Chian said, pleading for state assistance.
The insects have a life cycle of between 21 and 25 days. They produce their young in a nest underground and emerge when they mature in April or May.
''They prefer houses with shade that are not far from trees,'' said Nakhon Ratchasima pest control centre director Narongchai Kaisai.
His office is preparing to help Mr Chian by using a fungus, mixed with chemicals and water, and spraying it on the beetles to kill them off.
He suggested Mr Chian use it two or three times and then wait to sweep the dead bugs off the ground.
Bangkok Post May 20, 2007