At least one man is recovering in the hospital after a plague of water beetles descended on Surfer’s Paradise in Australia. The fantastic mass influx of insects has stumped experts and terrified residents, with at least one video making its way onto the Internet that shows beetles swarming light poles in the hundreds of thousands. The video, which looks like something straight out of a horror film, is enough to make your skin crawl. And yet it’s the reality some of the residents of this tourist hotspot have been dealing with in the past few days.
The insect itself is one of almost 2000 species of water beetle in the order Coleoptera. The insects are known to hibernate most of the year before coming out when the weather is just right for them, often digging into the soil to provide them with shelter. But with the incredible changes happening worldwide, it’s unknown if the sudden influx could be somehow related to either the Earthquake in Japan or any number of the other major Earth events that are happening.
But whatever the reason for their sudden and inexplicable appearance, the insects have already caused one man, Ken Tomkins injuries that required hospitalization. As Tomkins was driving through the city, his bike lost control and he skidded past a mound of the insects crawling over one another. His hip, collarbone, and at least two ribs were broken in the ensuing crash. It will likely be another six weeks before he will no longer be bedridden.
The incident is not entirely without some precedent, though among mysteries it is still one of the strangest of its kind. Why would thousands of beetles right up on a beach and swarm there in such massive quantities? Perhaps the shocking video will yield some clues. Meanwhile, authorities are still grappling with the issue, with some unsure of just which course of action will be the most prudent and effective. In 2010 one woman found her garden in Birmingham completely covered by insects, which literally swarmed around her as she walked through. Only later did she discover a next in the ground. But the mystery of the Water Beetles is completely different, as one nest would not be able to account for the incredible numbers the insects are swarming at. So what is the explanation? Perhaps only time will tell in this case. And in the mean time, conspiracies and disaster theories abound.
One of the most common theories is that the insects were affected somehow by the Earthquake in Japan, with theorists suggesting the insects could actually have been stirred from their slumber suddenly by seismic activity. Experts aren’t so sure. And then there’s the strange humming seen and heard throughout many parts of the world. While there have been no instances of the eerie hum reported in Surfer’s Paradise, the nature of the mystery has left some pointing in that direction in the search for answers.