Ahhhhhh!My first real introduction to Japan's scary and dangerous insect population (mushi). I have seen lots of creepy crawlies including some huge huntsman spiders (much bigger than at home), none of which has caused me too much stress. Thankfully (touch wood) I have never seen a mukade (Japanese, poisonous centipede). The worst thing so far has been cockroaches. To tell the truth, cockroaches don't scare me in the way that I think they will sting or kill me... Just that they are fast and gross!
Well tonight I got a scary one and I wasn't sure what to do! I arrived home from my adult English class at about 8.30pm. All was dark so I left on my front light. This usually attracts the mosquitoes (annoying but I can cope with them). I climbed the stairs unaware of anything dangerous... I got to the top of the landing and glanced up to see the size of the resident mosquitoes and THERE IT WAS! What I can only guess was a hornet. This thing was huge and hanging out in the warmth and safety of my porch light. I had walked right past it. It was a wasp looking creature the width and length of my thumb. My immediate reaction was to think about getting a picture to prove the size and ferocity of this animal, however, when it actually glanced over at me, I mean stared at me with it's huge black eye, my instincts took over and I ran back past it and down the stairs. I then called Lauren for help.
As a result of Lauren's advice, I knocked on downstair's door. The nice guy who lives there opened the door in his PJs. I stuttered about scary, dangerous insects (in broken Japanese). He caught my drift and climbed the stairs to have a look (in his PJs). He agreed that it was abunai (dangerous) and the went back into his own place for some strong spray and a fly swat. He totally doused the wasp (lets call it a hornet now) and ran back down stairs as it got angry. After about a minute, he bashed it about 10 times with the fly sway and dumped it in the drain. My hero! Finally safe. Ugh, ahhh, yuck.
PS. Just researched wasps and hornets in Japan. Turns out Japan has a bug inventively called The Japanese Giant Hornet. I am sure that was what I saw. Lucky me. Ugh, ahhh and yuck again!
8 comments:
Too bad you don't live near me--I could've sent my boys over to take care of your problem. So was the guy in his PJs cute? You must remember to mention such important details! (Just to clarify and avoid rumors, I'm kidding.) :)
Oh yes... very cute and married and has a cute daughter. Oh well - Now I've seen him in his PJs
KIO TSUKETE!!!!
Would have loved to be a hornet (sorry, fly) on the wall when you begged your neighbour to come resuce you in his PJs!
I thought you were the insect/spider executionist hero! M XXX
Okay so you know most things don't bother me but this thing had big beady black eyes that were watching me and apparently it could kill!!!
Did you read the bit where I said the body was the length and width of my thumb - that is BIG!
Yep but the spiders were bigger. Ha ha. M XX
Hi, just found your blog the other day and love it. I love expats blogs.
I live in India and I have that kind of hornets too, I always all for a neighbour or my bf when seeing any big bug LOL :-)
i was thinking exactly the same as the other chicks elle! that i hope this was meant to be so you could have an excuse to meet the hottie from downstairs and then i hear that he's married!!! bugger! and you would think there had to be some other reason for the (brown) hornet (dylan reference) being there. Bummer! obviously just there to scare the crap out of you... oh well. Must get into the ear of another brown hornet! leave it with me! Love, april.
Post a Comment