Krabi nursery school invaded by mysterious, smelly, burning bugs

PHUKET: An attack of mysterious bugs at a Krabi nursery school has frightened teachers and students and may cause the students to be moved out.

The black bugs, about one centimeter long, have a putrid smell and cause a burning sensation when touched, Piyawan Chamnongrak, a teacher at the school, told the Phuket Gazette.

“They appeared yesterday afternoon, from where we had dumped wood and broken tiles,” Ms Piyawan said.

“They entered the building where we teach kids. At first we didn’t think they were dangerous, but when we accidentally sat on or touched one, it hurt.”

Teachers poured bathroom cleaning chemicals on the bugs, and they stopped moving. When rain washed the solution off, however, the bugs were on the march again.

Officers from the local Phru Din Na Administrative Organization (OrBorTor), in Khlong Tom District, came to inspect but have yet proposed a solution.

Meanwhile, the bugs seem to be increasing in number, Ms Piyawan said.

“Our students are three to six years old. It’s hard to keep an eye on all of them and make sure they don’t touch them.”

“We’ll see what happens today. The OrBorTor should be able to figure something out, but if they don’t, we will have to move the kids somewhere else,” she said.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong