Comments on: Mekong Bug Invasion

By: Talen

Talen — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:11:19 +0000

I believe you may be closest to the mark Dr. Mark. They did come out to play more than once though so they may have a staggered birth. They came out this night then again about one week later.

By: Dr Mark

Dr Mark — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 15:39:56 +0000

Oh, and they have no mouthparts so blood-sucking is not an issue!

By: Dr Mark

Dr Mark — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 15:39:14 +0000

looks like a species of Mayfly, an insect with an aquatic larval stage and a one-day adult lifespan. Hence they all emerged from their larvae in the river at once, mated and died (they all hatch at once as a survival strategy – they overwhelm their predators with food, leaving the survivors to mate in peace much like the cicadas of North America. You were just lucky enough to be there the one night of the year they all hatched!

By: Catherine

Catherine — Fri, 29 May 2009 05:05:31 +0000

Oh great, giant critters with a taste of blood! Time to get out my handy bug racket? I know it’s around here somewhere…

Catherines last blog post..The Most Effective Way to Learn Thai

By: Pete, frogblogger

Pete, frogblogger — Thu, 28 May 2009 07:54:48 +0000

Catherine, in Chiang Mai if there are too many bugs about for your liking, just hire a tuk-tuk to drive up and down outside for a while, no need for expensive insecticides

Watch it though in Bangkok, I hear the pollution’s so great there they’re mutating into giant critters with a special taste for farang blood :-O

Pete, frogbloggers last blog post..Flashback Cambodia : The capital, Phnom Penh

By: Catherine

Catherine — Wed, 27 May 2009 01:49:03 +0000

‘with the current levels of pollution they would drop dead from asphyxiation before they got over the city walls!’

Maybe that’s why I haven’t seen them in Bangkok?

Catherines last blog post..Quick & Dirty Thai Language Learning with Myke Hawke

By: Pete, frogblogger

Pete, frogblogger — Tue, 26 May 2009 20:29:38 +0000

They wouldn’t last long in Chiang Mai, with the current levels of pollution they would drop dead from asphyxiation before they got over the city walls!

Pete, frogbloggers last blog post..Western society and values, R.I.P.

By: Talen

Talen — Tue, 26 May 2009 13:59:12 +0000

Martyn, then that’s why the chickens look so malnourished

Those little bastards do get in easily too…

By: Martyn

Martyn — Tue, 26 May 2009 05:39:46 +0000

Talen I have had the same problem in Wilai’s village in the past. We have to on occasion stuff cotton wool in the door gaps and keep the lights dimmed as low as possible to keep the buggers out. Apparently they are fed to chickens, so that’s one use in the village. Paradise does at times have it’s faults.

Martyns last blog post..Gladrags to Handbags

By: Talen

Talen — Tue, 26 May 2009 02:02:01 +0000

Very interesting…they don’t look like any termite I have ever seen so I guess thats why I didn’t think about it.

I can tell you this much….the Thai’s in Nakhom Phanom don’t eat them either. I mad several jokes about the family eating them and my girl let me know real fast nobody will eat those things.

By: Catherine

Catherine — Tue, 26 May 2009 00:39:17 +0000

And here’s one for Thailand (a much more exciting read

http://www.thingsasian.com/stories-photos/2302

‘Some Thais find the swarms positively nourishing: the second most eaten insect in the world, termites can be fried without oil over low heat and with a dash of salt. Prepared thus, they have a greasy, peanutty taste; 36% protein; and a caloric content of about 600 per 100 grams.’

We didn’t eat them in Brunei though!

Catherines last blog post..Quick & Dirty Thai Language Learning with Myke Hawke

By: Catherine

Catherine — Tue, 26 May 2009 00:34:50 +0000

Talen,

After they swarm, they drop their wings (which is what you are left with in the morning.

http://www.terminix.com/Services/Termite/Termite-or-Ant/default.aspx

Catherines last blog post..Quick & Dirty Thai Language Learning with Myke Hawke

By: Talen

Talen — Tue, 26 May 2009 00:21:17 +0000

Hmmm could be Catherine…but if they are termites I would imagine that the houses in Nakhon Phanom wouldn’t last long with the sheer numbers of them.

But, I do only recall seeing wings as the remnants no bodies.

By: Catherine

Catherine — Mon, 25 May 2009 23:44:08 +0000

What you have is a termite swarm. They were common when I lived on Borneo, but I don’t believe I’ve come across them in Bangkok.

It would happen after a rain, supposedly when the colony goes looking for a new place to live.

If you don’t close every window, then drive you crazy flapping around in the house late at night. I’d have to turn off all the lights as there would always be one or two getting in.

Then they drop all their wings and wiggle away. Into your wood.

Catherines last blog post..Quick & Dirty Thai Language Learning with Myke Hawke

By: Ben Shingleton

Ben Shingleton — Mon, 25 May 2009 04:50:15 +0000

Don’t think I’ve come across these before, certainly not in those numbers. Wow. Surprised they haven’t been scooped up and fried….