Winged terror stalks two Kochi districts

People are afraid to put on the lights at night. If they do, the beetles come and spread themselves all along the walls and even on objects like television sets.

quot;Switch off the light or the television set and the whole lot falls down,quot; says retired headmaster N K Chacko, residing in Edakkatuvayal panchayat. The menace is at its worst when families sit for dinner.

The beetle crawls on human body though it does not sting it leaves a few bruises and a burning sensation. It deposits non-poisonous acidic substance on the skin which leaves a black scar. Sleeping babies are easy victims as the beetle gets into their ears.

Added to the morning chores of housewives is collection of dead beetles. quot;I have been doing this for the last two months,quot; laments Aleyamma, a housewife. According to Reena, another housewife, the most disgusting thing is the pungent smell when these insects are burned.

Motorists have it tough on the road at night 8211; with headlights they attract hoards of beetles, without headlights they can8217;t see the road. Feels an autorickshaw driver Shias, the menace has increased in the recent times.

Edakkatuvayal panchayat president K R Jayakumar says nothing can be done to wipe out the beetles as they have spread to areas having rubber cultivation. Amballoor panchayat president N V Gopalan agrees.

Residents of Mulanthuruthy, Chottanikkara, Thiruvaniyoor, Piravom, Vadavucode and Poothrukka in Ernakulam district have been affected.

In Kottayam district, Teekoy, Poonjar, Adukkam and Thidanad are the worst-hit. Some people in these areas have moved to nearby areas where the beetles have not reached.

According to Cochin University PRO Anil Kumar Vadavathoor, lizards do not eat this beetle.

Entomologist V T Jose, of the Rubber Research Institute at Kottayam, says beetle is not a new breed but as old as the species itself. The creature is called mupley vandu as it was found in abundance at Mupley Estate in Thrissur in the 1960s.

The beetle breeds in favourable conditions and its population is controlled by nature itself and by varying climatic conditions. Pesticides and self-borne diseases threaten their survival, according to K M George, former director of Agricultural University.

Elimination of the beetles is best done by collecting them in a container filled with kerosene or diesel under a lighted bulb, says Jose. He does not recommend pesticides, but says spraying of diluted Chloropyrephos-20 and Decamythrin is effective but it should be done by using a face mask.