Insects, go away!

TEXT: Jin Chang

While cockroaches aren’t dangerous, most of us don’t want to deal with them. And yes, they exist here. The flying kind, too.

Dani are little bugs that live in your tatami. Especially for people who sleep on futons, be wary of these tiny mites as they do bite and leave little red marks.

Also known as rice weevils, these tiny critters can be found in rice in the humid months,and can multiply before you know it. While the eggs and adults are safe to eat, they can be unpleasant to find.

Mukade are vicious, venomous centipedes that like to come out in the humid months from June to August. There are all sorts of myths about these beasts, so no one really knows what’s true or false. Some of these include them traveling in pairs and secreting pheromones that attract more mukade if you smash their bodies. Fact or fiction, you don’t want to get bitten (fact: their bites are extremely painful!)

Whether they be the creepy, the crawly, or the flying, prevention is key. So we’ll be listing some of the ways to prevent these scary-looking critters from entering your home and solutions for if they somehow slip through the cracks.

You can find cockroach

First things first, if you’ve found a cockroach in your dwelling, there may be a possible food source attracting them. Make sure your living space is free from all possible food sources such as trash, grime, or spills. Unfortunately, just keeping your home clean isn’t going to prevent cockroaches from strolling in. The humidity in the summer can invite these creatures in, so make

for ダニアース (dani asu), a spray with a needle at the end. Shoot the needle into the center of your tatami mat sure you’ve covered all possible openings and cracks so they can’t crawl in.

Look for dani spray at your local grocery store. Vacuum or sweep your tatami mats, then spray the mats with the solution. It may be good to venti late your place after as the spray has a strong smell. Spray once a month. If your rice has already been infested with weevils and you don’t mind picking

Store your rice in an airtight container and place some dried chili peppers or bay leaves in with your rice.

You can alternatively purchase repellents at your local grocery stores called 米唐番 (kometouban). Just pop them into your rice container. If you’ve got the room and don’t feel like buying anything, then just store your rice in the refrigerator and you’re good to go!

Kincho brand コナーズ (konaazu) powder is very effective at repelling mukade and even other insects. Sprinkle the powder and create a perimeter around none of the powder actually gets into your home as the poison is strong. There are also mukade traps.

barriers and poison bait at your local drug stores.

Just look for ゴキブリ in the insect treatment section.

If you’ve already got a dani infestation, look and spray for 15 to 20 seconds. Repeat for each mat, then ventilate the room, and vacuum afterward.

the outside of your home. Make sure them out, one solution is to place the rice, weevils and all, in the freezer. Let it stay there for at least three days, then separate the rice and weevils. Wash the rice well before cooking.

If by chance you do run into a mukade, do not attempt to fight them. I repeat. Do not fight them. Instead spray them with 虫コロリアース (mushi korori aasu) (this spray is effective at killing most insects) to stun them. Pouring boiling water on them or spraying them more should then do the trick. If you don’t feel like killing them, you could sweep them outside, but keep in mind, mukade are territorial and may waltz back in.

As we head into the summer months, stay vigilant by keeping the humidity in your home to a minimum and covering drains to prevent unwanted pests from getting inside.

Because one less problem to deal with means more time to enjoy your summer in Japan! 9