Dangerous insects in the dormitory

All of the sudden, in South Korea, there is an issue of the ‘Nairobi fly’ (or Kenya fly). It is kind of bug that has black and red on its thorax and abdomen and has wings but can’t fly. Literally, its Korean name is ‘burn bug’ because its poison called ‘pederin’ is 15 times stronger than a cobra’s poison. If it is crushed by us, our skin swells and gets burned. (Actually, it doesn’t sting or bite.) Even, it can peel off our skin, and if that goes to our eyes, it can make us blind.

There is an opinion that they come with foreign students, but that is not true. Dr. Lee (Yonsei Medical university Tropical medicine lab) explained that they live in East Asia and are an indigenous species. In other words, the Nairobi flies which are in our home and dormitory are Korean.

Around 1968, the flies were not a serious issue, but these days the flies are more common, starting in the southern region of Korea. They are not very famous yet, but they are becoming a national problem.

They are attracted to light, so they go into our home or dormitory at night. So the flies have been found in our university’s dormitory also. One of our students found one at the ‘Mae-Hwa’ dormitory and fortunately, he wasn’t hurt. But our student who lives in dormitory, Hyun-ho Kim (Business · 19), said “It is a real threat and I think the university needs to use an extermination service or something,”

But first, we need to know how to protect ourselves. If you’ve been attacked by the fly you must wash with soapy water and do not scrub the injury. Then, you need to see a doctor.

To kill the flies, gloves and tissues are recommended. Typical pesticides kill them but using them is not recommended. This is because, basically, the Nairobi fly is different from other flies.

You can find ointments from Vietnam for Nairobi fly injuries. But it is much better not to come into contact with them. Vietnamese people always prepare the ointment and close the curtain to block bugs. So you should not forget to use an insect screen as well. It seems there is nothing better than basic things.

Our university used an extermination service for the second time, on October 9th. We can’t prove the effect yet but we hope they are eradicated, at least in the dormitory.

An extermination service for the Nairobi fly should be more careful than a typical service because as I said, they are different from other flies. The service can kill beneficial insects and destroy the environment system if it is not careful.

The flies don’t act well under 10-degree Celsius, so, after October, we don’t have to worry too much. But how about after winter? We need to concentrate on eradicating them whether they are nearby us or not.