What was your worst bug encounter? Mine involved a tick's 30+ babies

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   Shadows and lightposted 16 years ago

   When I was younger, one evening I came in after a long walk and there was a brown tick on the back of my T-shirt. It had almost reached the nape of my neck. It apparently was looking to hide itself on my scalp, under my thick hair.
   
   My mother pulled the tock off of me and crushed it and literally over 30 live little ticks scuttled out of its body. At least 30 perfectly formed, menacing little blood suckers that would have been attached to my scalp along with their mother had my mother not pulled it off.
   
   I now have a bit of a phobia. I mean come on, that's lime disease and all kinds of bacteria/toxins times 30. I shudder to think. You see my face right now.
   
   What was your worst encounter?

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2. 0

   Will Apseposted 16 years ago

   I hate ticks. Once the head is in its very hard to get out.
   
   My worst insect experience was in Thailand. I came home late to a dark house, kicked off my shoes as is polite in Thai houses and walked towards the light switch. Before I was halfway there I trod on something and there was a searing pain.
   
   The thing wrapped itself around my foot (it was at least 12 inches long) and I can still remember the feeling of dozens of pointed feet scrabbling on the sole of my foot. I kicked to get rid of it and it must have hit the nearby fridge (there was ringing sound). By the time I found the light switch the thing had gone and I was in need of a trip to hospital.
   
   It must have been a giant centipede and it prompted me to write my first hub where you can find a photo of the thing if you are interested.
   
   http://hubpages.com/hub/Thailand-Health … us-Animals

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   1. 60

      Shadows and lightposted 16 years agoin reply to this

      Ugh, that sounds horrible.

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3. 66

   Lisa HWposted 16 years ago

   Shadows, that's like a horror movie!  It has never occurred to me that that can happen.  I was once walking happily along in the shopping center, carrying my 18-month-old daughter.  I noticed a shadow in the corner of her ear, and - you guessed it.  Tick.  Gross.  Gross.  Gross.

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   1. 60

      Shadows and lightposted 16 years agoin reply to this

      I would flip if I found a tick on my kids. Lime diease is very bad news. So many horrible symptoms.

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4. 62

   lxxyposted 16 years ago

   When G|M lived in Ohio the fireplace in the basement never really got used and so wasps took to building nests. Every once in awhile they'd come down the chimney and into the basement, where they'd meet the suction of a shop vac.
   
   However, the saddest point was capturing an awesome (but pregnant!) praying mantis and keeping it...it laid eggs and they were set outside to hatch, but alas, it rained and drowned all the babies.
   
   Praying Mantis' are freakin' awesome. Much better than spiders any day, though I don't like to watch them eat--nor would I want to be their prey.

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   1. 60

      Shadows and lightposted 16 years agoin reply to this

      Awwww, pour praying mantis'. They are awesome and very unique. It'd be an honor to have one.

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5. 83

   kerrygposted 16 years ago

   Ugh, I despise ticks. Back when I was in college, there was a drought here and the population at my parents' house, which is in the country and mostly fields and woods, exploded. All summer long we were pulling about 30 ticks a day off the two dogs, EACH. It was horrible.

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   1. 60

      Shadows and lightposted 16 years agoin reply to this

      Okay, just reading that made my spine curve. Shudder. Shudder. I hate ticks. Kill them all! Kill them all!

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6. 62

   lxxyposted 16 years ago

   I forgot to mention, kerryg, I'm with you. I despise ticks too. Especially the ones that begin with "poli."

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7. 61

   jennshon4posted 16 years ago

   A friend of mine moved in for a while one summer as a transition to a new place and she brought her pets.  The dogs were outdoor only but the cats were indoor only.  One day after something happened she ended up loading all of them into the car together.  Well apparently the dogs had gotten fleas.  They transferred to the cats. 
   
   Within a week my 1400 square foot house was filled with fleas despite setting off every house bomb known to man, washing with bleach & sprinkling borax everywhere.  I could actually see them jumping on the living room area rug from the next room.  My husband still has scars on his legs from the bites.  Luckily it got cooler, we mostly had hardwood floors and we were able to dip the cats & put them into one room with no fabric to rid the rest of the house, but it took months. 
   
   It still makes me itchy.

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   1. 60

      Shadows and lightposted 16 years agoin reply to this

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      Leta Sposted 16 years agoin reply to this

      Horror.  Something similar happened to me, too.  THE worst.  Thankfully, thankfully (the things you don't much think about) Arizona doesn't have much for fleas or mosquitos.  Pets can roam outside and come back without the vermin.
      
      Oh, God.  Just makes me sick thinking about it again.

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8. 69

   lafentyposted 16 years ago

   Bought a sailboat that had been tied up to the dock for some time.  First night got into bed and turned off the lights and the place was crawling with cockroaches.  Longest night of my life.  Bug bombed the boat the next day.

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      Shadows and lightposted 16 years agoin reply to this

      There aren't many thing worse than cockroaches. I've heard that people occasionally get them in their ears and they make and awful screeching sound in your head, audible because they're so close to your ear drum. I would just die.

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9. 80

   LondonGirlposted 16 years ago

   There's a lot to be said for the UK in this regard - we are very low on nasty biting things, snakes, and spiders.

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      Shadows and lightposted 16 years agoin reply to this

      Ok, I'm moving to the UK.

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10. 75

    Mighty Momposted 16 years ago

    Sounds like I've been sheltered in the bugs department compared to some of you!
    My personal weirdest bug encounter was as a young girl. A bumble bee (the fuzzy kind) landed on my tongue! I was afraid to spit it out for fear of being stung. Luckily, my tongue may have resembled a flower petal, but apparently didn't taste like one:-).
    My second story occurred a couple of years ago. Hubby and I were lying in bed. He felt something crawling up his leg. We pulled back the covers and revealed a large, fuzzy black spider. Then we realized the date: Halloween. Creepy!

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    Laughing Momposted 16 years ago

    After reading MM's post, I've decided to wait to read the rest until daylight.....

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