The Dailymail newspaper warned readers about the extremely unpleasant “fauna” that lives in Bali – a scar from an encounter with which a tourist can remain for years. We are talking about the so-called tramp beetles or Tomcat in the English version, the “collision” with which leaves marks on the skin, similar to burns.
The publication cites a tourist who showed a photo of three such burns – she asked her unfortunate siblings how much their “burn mark” had healed and whether there were any scars, and also asked for advice on how to treat the blisters. The woman explained that she had been bitten more than two weeks ago and that even the burn medicine she used on the affected area only made it worse.
Unfortunately, the female tourist was not particularly comforted by her companions. Tourists recommended oil with vitamin E and aloe vera to soothe the burns and prepare for a long recovery process. “Healed for seven weeks. Mine looked even worse. Now it looks like a bruise,” commented one tourist. “It heals very slowly. The mark can remain for years,” complained another.
Commentators from NSW Health explained to tourists that vagrant beetles are native to Indonesia, including Bali, and live mainly near “drainage lines and watercourses”. At the same time, the beetle does not attack people, the main risk is accidentally crushing it. The fact is that his blood contains a strong toxin called pederin, which causes severe dermatitis and serious skin irritation, and if it gets into the eyes, serious inflammation. If the misfortune still happened, it is recommended to wash the skin with soapy water immediately after contact, and in general to avoid suspicious insects just in case.