copyright: HK Magazine, Asia City Publishing
PETER SZE
Peter Sze
August 29th, 2008
If you enter Peter Sze’s photocopy shop in Sheung Wan, be sure to pay a visit to his sideline, Beetle Station, where you can purchase beetles from his collection. The proud owner shares his passion with Cherry Ko.
HK Magazine: Beetles in a photocopy shop? Why?
Peter Sze: The idea just came naturally—my shop was originally a photocopy shop only. I kept my beetles here because the temperature and the humidity in the shop are ideal for them. But then my hobby started attracting people, who came in and asked for my advice about beetle-keeping. Eventually,
I conceded part of my photocopy shop to the beetle business.
HK: What was the first beetle that got you into the hobby?
PS: It was a pair of Japanese rhinoceros beetles I bought a few years ago. Japanese rhinoceros beetles are always the starting point for beetle collectors; they’re beautiful and are so easy to handle.
HK: Are they easy to raise?
PS: Mostly. For food, they love fruity things, so I give them fruit jelly. Their ideal temperature is around 18-24 Celsius. They should be kept in a dry place. However, if you want to take them out and play with them, keep in mind that our body temperature is a bit too warm for them. Seriously, if you want your beetles to live longer, don’t keep changing their habitat. I guess that philosophy works on every creature on earth.
HK: Do they have to be kept separately, in case they fight?
PS: We won’t put two male beetles of different species in the same box. They will kill each other. However, things are different for two beetles of the opposite sex. They can be really passionate towards each other, but sometimes the female one is so eager to mate that the male may find her annoying and kill her right away.
HK: Is it usually kids who are interested in keeping them?
PS: Usually kids are the one who drag their parents in, but turns out it’s the parents that become more interested in the beetles. They keep asking all about the different species, or how much it costs to keep them. However, once they hear that it may cost them a few thousand dollars for a pair of beetles that can only survive a year or less, they will start to go sour.
HK: Have the beetles ever tried to escape from you?
PS: I would say they’re not running away intentionally. During daytime when the sun is still out, they always stand still and eat, but at night they will try to move to brighter places. It’s their nature.
HK: Are they frightened by your visitors? And what about your cats?
PS: The beetles aren’t scared by the visitors, and even if they were, it’s hard to tell! My cats can’t be bothered to play with them anymore because the beetles don’t react to the cats much. The beetles are too boring to play with them.
HK: What do you enjoy most about your hobby?
PS: It’s all about the different breeds of beetles, their colors and shapes. The rarer they are, the more beautiful they are, and the happier we are. We keep the bodies as specimens, and being an owner of a really beautiful and rare species can make me feel really proud. I love to show them off when I get the chance.
Visit Beetle Station at L/G, The Centre Mark, 287-299 Queen’s Rd. Central, Sheung Wan, 2544-0282.
