Last summer, there was an outbreak of a type of insect called “lovebugs” in the northwestern part of Seoul. It caused a lot of distress among the local residents. This year, these bugs have spread out to all of Seoul and Gyeonggi-do province, causing headaches for people who have a phobia of insects.
Lovebugs belong to the March fly family of insects. True to their nickname they form pairs and fly around when they enter their mating season. They are beneficial insects that convert fallen leaves into nutritious soil, but they are treated as harmful pests due to their large population and mating behavior.
It leaves a bad taste in my mouth that these beneficial insects are treated as pests simply because they are considered unpleasant to look at. Plus, the infestation itself might have been caused by human selfishness. I hope that the pest control measures will be implemented in a way that allows for coexistence between humans and nature.
outbreak - a time when something suddenly begins, especially a disease or something else dangerous or unpleasant
bad taste in someone's mouth - negative impression or feeling left behind after a situation, interaction, or event
interfere - to involve yourself in matters connected with other people without being asked or needed
true to one's nickname - behaves or acts in a way that aligns with the characteristics or qualities suggested by their nickname
지난여름, 서울 북서부 지역에 "러브버그"라는 벌레가 창궐해서, 지역 주민들이 큰 고통을 받았다. 그런데 올해는 이 벌레들이 서울 전역과 경기도 지역까지 퍼져 곤충을 무서워하는 사람들이 피해를 호소하고 있다.
러브버그는 털 파리과 곤충이다. 그 별명처럼, 짝짓기 철이 되면 짝을 이뤄 공중을 날아 다닌다. 러브버그는 낙엽을 영양가 있는 토양으로 바꿔주는 익충이지만, 개체 수와 짝짓기 행동으로 인해 해충 취급받는다.
이렇게 유익한 곤충이 단순히 보기 불편하다는 이유로 해충 취급되는 것은 씁쓸하기만 하다. 게다가, 이러한 벌레의 창궐은 인간의 이기심으로 인한 것이었을지도 모른다. 인간과 자연이 공존할 수 있는 방향으로 방역활동이 잘 시행되기를 바란다.
- The event caused headaches for everyone in the neighborhood. / That client causes headaches for everyone.
- The ending of the movie left a bad taste in my mouth. / The result left a bad taste in my mouth, but I had to accept it.
- All of these problems were caused by human selfishness. / Most environmental issues have been caused by human selfishness.
A: Ugh! What are these bugs flying around?
B: They’re called lovebugs, and they seem to be everywhere these days.
A: Why are there so many of them all of a sudden?
B: Maybe because they don’t have any natural predators?
A: Could it be because we got rid of a lot of other insects a few years back?
B: That must be it. We should really be careful when we interfere with nature.
