Musings: Rice Weevils, Blog Tweaks, And Learning to Let Go Through Moving

Attack of the Rice Weevils

When I think of bugs from the States I think of fireflies I used to catch in Jersey, rolipolies that I'd poke to see them bunch up, ladybugs I'd scoop into my hands.... all innocent and fun little critters.

But in Korea, or at least in Seoul, the bugs are not of the cutesy kind and more of the plague-and-scourg kind. This includes tiny fruit flies that fly out from your trash can or sink drain, cockroaches that suddenly scurry out from dark corners, and of course, can't forget the mosquitoes that come to prey every summer.
Side note: Speaking of mosquitoes, I caught a tiger mosquito the other day, which, despite looking kind of cool for a mosquito (its nickname, appropriately, is the "Adidas mosquito") is a tough little *#$!@ and even bites during the day. And because it bites so many victims repeatedly, it's a known carrier of multiple viral pathogens like dengue fever, yellow fever, and more...

Seriously?

In any case, to add to all of THAT insect fun, I recently opened up my rice bin (which, might I add, is LOCKED IN AN AIRTIGHT PLASTIC BIN CONTAINER) only to discover some new friends crawling around.

For my friends outside Korea who have not encountered these fellas before, please allow me to introduce the rice weevil or sitophilus oryzae (perhaps a random trivia question you'll be asked one day). Known in Korea as "bah-goo-mee" (바구미), these tiny critters infest things like rice, grains, and other crops by eating through grain kernels while female ones even lay eggs in them, which then hatch and repeats a wonderful cycle. 

Funny thing is, a few years ago I had my first encounter with these guys when I first noticed one or two of them sometimes crawling around the kitchen. Thinking they were like baby cousins of the rhinoceros beetle, I actually used to think they were somewhat cute and endearing back then. But when I cooed  and showed them to my friends, they all looked at me like I was crazy and told me to check my food supplies. Lo and behold, these guys were holding a party inside my rice stock without me knowing. 

Since then, it's been a near yearly battle as I try and prevent these guys from getting into my food supply. Specifically it's my rice supply which seems to be the perpetual victim. Ever since my first encounter years ago, I've learned to keep my rice in airtight, lockable bins which have prevented most infestations.

But I was struck again recently and it's been a battle everyday since then. The thing about these rice weevils is that they multiply and they multiply fast. I've painstakingly gone through my rice and weeded the critters out but sure enough the next day if I shake up my rice bin a bit, a few pop their head up between the grains and begin nonchalantly walking around. They're spreading faster than I can catch them and I feel like they're gloating while doing so. ㅡㅡ As a geeky reference, the term 'zerg rush' comes to mind...