UKTom............those centipedes are bad news, and you really don't want to make them feel welcome in your home. BTW...........it's not only your GF that's allergic to them...........everyone is
Just last week I saw a Thai who had been bitten earlier in the day, and he was in quite bad shape because of it.
Okay......off topic for a moment.............
FROG..............Thais are all Buddhist (or so they say), and believe me, they do see animals as being a lower life form than humans. Tell any "Buddhist" that all living things are equal, and they'll laugh at you. Anyway, I'm sure there are others on this forum that know a lot more than me about Buddhism.
Okay. BTT
Don't try to impress me with your manner of dress cos a monkey himself is a monkey no less - cold fact
margaretcarnes wrote:
For me the strangest animal event was a huge bird standing bolt upright beside my loo in the shower room one night. We had been out - got home and there it was. Huge beak. It stood as high as the loo seat.
Thai neighbour was promptly called in and he caught it in a blanket and released it on the beach. He said it was just a baby....I wouldn't have wanted to meet it's Mum on a dark night.
Wow, that must of been some party! I thought that stuff was illegal in Thailand.
May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil know`s you`re dead!
Well in buddhism it is taught in most traditions that it is unskilful to kill/harm any sentient being, however there are situations where you would need to weigh up the situation as to what would be more wise to do. But as for animals being lower, I do not mean we should treat them lower, it is just a considered to be less adequate to be reborn as an animal as you have less chance of awakening to nibbana and are controlled more by instict and impulses than humans. The human body is perfect for practicing the dharma, this is why it is considered to be best to be reborn in this form.
Be the tree that sways with the breeze rather than the tree that leans against the wind
Uktom wrote:During your days here in Thailand, what animals or insects have you come across in your house or around and about which were a bit shocking?
I was freaked out my those meng-mao things (the ones that come out after the rain - flap about and then die) first time I saw them. I'd been coming to Thailand for years already and never come across them.
First I saw one little bug in my room so I got him in a cup and set him free. Then a couple of minutes later I saw what I believed to be the same one crawl under the door. As I was trying to cup him more and more started coming under the floor, through holes in the wall, everywhere. I quickly grabbed my essentials and left the room, just to see that the entire guest-house was swarming with them. I planted myself in the only bar close bar and waited for my girlfriend to return.
It was quite a site when we rode into town and the entire road was covered in their shedded wings.
This was in Samui; I gather they don't come out in such volume here?
Yes, it's a type of flying ant that doesn't last very long! We get them up at the place in Issan at certain times of the year. For about thirty minutes in the evening they're everywhere and then they expire. We have a dog that drives itself crazy trying to chase them.
I've never seen them in Hua Hin but until this year we were living near the city surrounded by concrete, so maybe there was nowhere for them to live.
I have seen them quite often in Hua Hin. Although that was many years ago. Sitting outside at a stone table with a bunch of Thais who always immediately started feasting on them. A group-bottle of Saengsom, soda, ice and free insects. All the ingredients for a great evening. They removed the wings before enjoying the protein rich delicacy. Must admit I never tried one.
We are all living in 'the good old days' of the future.
I think Pleng is referring to something else rather than to the flying ants. In fact, I think the beetles he/she is referring to are the ones they use for flavoring some of the chili pastes.
The flying ant one are apparently termites. Not sure about this, but that's what I've been told by a number of Thais.
Don't try to impress me with your manner of dress cos a monkey himself is a monkey no less - cold fact
Roel wrote:I have seen them quite often in Hua Hin. Although that was many years ago.
Yes, I seem to remember we had a few post-downpour invasions soon after we moved to the Kao Tao area nearly 6 years ago, but I haven's seen hide nor hair of them for a few years now. Thankfully!
From what I can make out, after a bit of a read, they're Formosan subterranean termite alates, or swarmers.
"A single colony of C. formosanus may produce over 70,000 alates. After a brief flight, alates shed their wings. Females immediately search for nesting sites with males following closely behind. When the pair find a moist crevice with wooden materials, they form the royal chamber and lay approximately 15 to 30 eggs. Within two to four weeks, young termites hatched from the eggs. The reproductives nurse the first group of young termites until they reach third instar. One to two months later, the queen lay the second batch eggs which would be eventually nursed by termites from the first egg batch. It may take three to five years before a colony reach substantial number to cause severe damage and produce alates."
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We get them every year usually after rain at the beginning of May so we are expecting them soon. No matter how we try and close the house up they still get inside even through key holes if they do not have a key in them. We retreat into the house and put all the outside lights on and that does help but for a few days we find discarded wings every where.
I have been in Hua Hin for 2 monsoons now and I have never experienced these insects flying around. However, I was not living in a house for the previous to monsoon seasons, so what can I expect with the rains?
Be the tree that sways with the breeze rather than the tree that leans against the wind
