Korean Job Discussion Forums

[VanIslander]

Two minutes ago I saw a huge cokroach (or black beetle for all I know) crawl under my blanket overhanging off the foot of my bed. Now I can't find it to put it outside. Hmmm... the old me back home couldn't possibly sleep with any sort of insect within two metres of my bed.

But here in Korea I take a lot of things in stride.

I've actually been surprised by how few spiders I find in my apartment here in Korea. Mosquitoes are the biggest pests.

But to see my first cokroach in my apartment after 18 months, and have it be so big and around my bed... makes me apprehensive.

Do they bite?

How does your experiences of the insect world here compare with back home?

[captain kirk]

I'm from Saskatoon, which has a 'rivalry' with the other 'major' city in my 'tombstone' of a province (Saskatchewan's shape on the map, the lack of economic activity, the 'Western motif' (gunfights out west)). And Regina supposedly has cockroaches.
The cold Prairie winters makes roaches lives VERY difficult if not impossible.
Sooo. In Korea, in a second floor apt up top of the school on my second year a big roach the like of which gives one the heebiejeebies made it under the door one night. And my advice is go ballistic. Watch alot of Alien movies and take Sigourney Weaver's rage as an inspiration and go crazy with all the supah has to offer to eliminate it.
Because he or she with however many legs and carapace has plans for your apt.
Armour piercing shells and grenades.

[[email protected]]

Isn't this a subtle hint you need to review your personal hygiene practices? But no, they don't bite. Although they have been known to bury their eggs inside open sores and then it heals...Then they hatch and burrow their way out of your skin...True!

[VanIslander]

[JacktheCat]

There was thread on this just a couple of days ago.

here: http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=23162

As countries go, Korea doesn't seem all the buggy to me. Surprisingly too, considering Koreans' hygiene standards.

[frogrocket]

My bathroom is a HAVANA PARTY for Fruit Flies...I can bleach the ENTIRE ROOM until I'm blue in the face....they disappear for 'bout 2 minutes...

Open the door again...VOILA....the fastest reproduction in the history of a species....

[Inigo Montoya]

Actually they are probably not fruit flies but drain flies. I found out about them on the internet. You have to clean up all the standing water in your bathroom 'cause that's where they breed. Check the little water ring in your floor drain, that is usually where they are coming from. Fill that with bleach and replace it each time you rinse it out for a few weeks and that should help.

I live in the country and I have huge centipedes, ant invasions, pillbugs, millipedes and spiders. But very few mosquitoes, amazingly enough. And I hate bugs!!!

[frogrocket]

THANKS DUDE!
I'll get on the bleaching thing asap!
I thought they looked like really aggressive fruit flies with their wings open all the time!

Owe you one!

[discostar23]

We have had a recent fruit fly infestation

I bought a bottle of red wine (ok it was flavoured grape juice but does the trick) I tells ya there is nothing those buggers love more then wine

[rapier]

Bugs aren't too bad here at all.. the worst can be the cicadas which look pretty grotesque when they fly around your room, hitting everything at 100mph.
Fact: The average person swallows several spiders in their lifetime (unwittingly, in their sleep).
have a nice night y'all.

[Skippy]

Himm my stay in Korea - Has had it's adventures of the creepy crawlies.

Spiders - small and annoying rarely in my apartment.

Fruit Flies and Other Flies - Usually due to my being lax with the garbage.

A roaches a few frights. My first apartment. Got up in the middle of the night to take a leak and I peak over to the shower. Sitting on the Soap (The SOAP mind you) was the a huge Cock Roach about twice the size of my thumb. I screamed like a school girl. I hate insects. Little bugger ran down the drain. But I sprayed the chemicals down the drain after the bugger.

Another time I was sittin in bed minding my own business with my cat on my lap. The cat starts going bonkers. He is looking at a good sized roach on the ceiling. I jump up and knock it off to the ground. before I could squish the bugger my cat gobbled him up. Saving me the mess of picking up a dead roach. For the rest of the night I was careful to now get to friendly with Roach Breath Cat.

Mosquitos. Me and My girlfriend in the room. They ignore her and eat me. I usually average two to three bites a night. I have good screens and spray but the buggers keep coming in.

Skippy the Evil Twin (Nearly Drained)

[Grotto]

Hahahahaha

Here in Taebaek there are only 5 mosquitos...in the whole city....the only hang out at Hwangji pond.

This has got to be one of the most bug free areas I have ever lived in.

Mosquitos are a rarity. Cockroaches have never seen one here. Other bugs few and far between. Ants bit of a problem but after declaring war on them in a couple of short months I won.

[Tiberious aka Sparkles]

[oldfort]

[mithridates]

I've always wondered how high up one has to live to be able to completely avoid bugs. Would living on the 25th floor, for example, keep most mosquitoes at bay? I had three in my room last night (right beside North Korea right now) and killed each and every one before going back to bed. Otherwise I dream about continuously scratching an itch, which is my least favourite dream.
I've only seen about three small cockroaches in my place during the 7 months I lived there but I never ever leave food garbage out. Books, papers, they're everywhere but no food. I lived on the sixth floor.