Friday, July 10, 2009

Night Crawlers


For a woman who has seen the most disgusting things that life has to offer, I can't stand the sight of bugs. Let me be more specific. I hate bugs I can see with the naked eye. Over the past week, I've killed at least 10 of the bugs pictured above INSIDE my house. I've slaughtered them in the kitchen, the bathroom, the hallway and in my bedroom. Each killing has been preceded by a god awful screeching noise that escapes from me, and is usually followed by swearing. If another adult is in the house, I will make him kill the beast. Dammit.

At first I thought they were roaches (which really freaked me out), and everything, though already clean, got scrubbed and bleached. I love bleach, but this is not a post where I'll sell you on the benefits of Clorox as a mercenary agent against bugs. After further investigation and because I wouldn't rest again until I knew what I was dealing with, I have had the creatures identified as earwigs and now I'm really worried.

Years ago, I watched an episode of Night Gallery, The Caterpillar, that has stuck with me for decades. You probably saw the same episode. God forbid one of these creatures should do this to me, because we all know that The Twilight Zone and Night Gallery were retold stories of the truth.

Do you think this is why I still have a nagging little headache? Has one of these creatures found comfort in my gray matter? OK. Now I'm nauseous.



Sheesh. Those pincers look fearsome, don't they?

19 comments:

Brenda said...

Did you check Wikipedia...they had some not so scary things to say about them. They hide on plants and are somehow beneficial to them?....I read it quickly. Not suppose to carry diseases to us humans like roaches...yuck.
I loathe bugs also, when they are inside the house. Outside they are interesting...inside..No Way.
One thing that kind of worked for me in the past was to wash plants with soapy water but not rinse much so that the soap sticks on there. Bugs do not like soap.
This reminded me of a ladybug invasion at my parents house one year. It was like a Twilight Zone or Hitchcock movie only they were just cute little ladybugs. But thousands of anything is scary.
Good luck!

Anonymous said...

Rudee, I know the kinds of things you have seen as a nurse. I also hate bugs. Not gonna go into some of them, but one. Before I was a nurse I was a HHA (home health aide) in a HH agency. I visited a home to see an elderly lady to a help with personal care. I would go to bathroom or kitchen for water,etc. I could hear things in the drawers. You guessed it. Bugs. I mean at least 2 inches long. Manners of course number one when representing your company. I had to hold a squeal in. Of course I had to inform our SW and they were taken care of. That was one of the worst. Big enough to make noise. Can you imagine. Blessings
QMM

Lisa L said...

omg..that's an earwig? Yuck. Disgusting creature. The horrible part? My maiden name meant 'earwig' in French....ugh. As for sites in nursing...I think my worst encounter was entering a home which had not been cleaned in literally years. The older couple had not had haircuts, or nail trims in years also. And the rats..omg...the rats were as big as my forearm and walked pidgeon toed around the house like they owned it. The ironic part? One of their sons was head of 'vector control' on the island LOL...he was a sweet guy, but damn man, maybe clean up your OWN folks home? It was ugly...

Kat Mortensen said...

Oh, this isn't the episode with the earwig that crawls into the guy's ear and lays eggs, is it? I saw that when I was a kid and I could never forget it! (Sorry, I can't watch your video!) I Loathe and Detest bugs - except ladybugs, butterflies and bumblebees(at a distance).

Kat

flydragon said...

EWWWWWWWW
The original Star Trek series also had a segment with bugs in ears, eating peoples brains.
I know you're not old enough to have seen that, but I was. I worried about that for weeks:)

Silliyak said...

Are we looking for reasons to procrastinate from that which looms (almost a pun) over you? GET BACK TO WORK/HOBBY!

debra said...

ohm no, not the dreaded earwig!!!!!
Even the name gives me the willies...
we get them too. ugh

Renie Burghardt said...

Eww, never saw an earwig before. It looks mighty disgusting, for sure.

I don't like bugs in the house either, especially the kind you picture here, and the thought of roaches gives me hives! But outdoors, I kinda think they're interesting. Spiders don't really freak me out. I usually trap them, when they're inside and deposit them outside. I'm weird, I guess.

Happy weekend, Rudee!

Anonymous said...

I have a presentation for you on my 7/11/09 blog. Oh go on get it. You deserve it.
QMM

Rositta said...

I've killed a few earwigs in my house this year too. I have no idea where they are coming from. As Brenda says, they are better than the invasion of the ladybugs. Three years ago there were thousands, no exaggeration. At our cabin and the studio they were on the walls in two inch thick patches at least a foot square. The entry doorway was encrusted with them, it was the most awful thing we ever had to clean up. They stink too, it was horrible....ciao

Rudee said...

Brenda, if the crawl or slither, they make me queasy. I would not do well with flying cockroaches. I don't even need to see them to know that!

QMM, O.M.G.!!!!! Blech. That's worse than vomit which is the only body emission that makes me ill.

Lisa, what was wrong with their son? Maybe that's why he went into vector control! lol

Kat, why yes it is!

Fly- I loved Cap'n Kirk. Spock, too. I am old enough to remember most of those episodes, but I don't recall that one.

Yak- I'm working, I'm working.

Debra, misery loves company. I'm glad I'm not alone.

Renie, you have a good weekend, too.

Rositta, with all that trash piling up in Toronto, I think that town will have more than the usual share of critters this year. I recall the ladybug invasion a couple of years ago. Maybe this is something similar.

Pyzahn said...

Couldn't watch the clip. It's too close to bedtime and I'm very susceptible to icky dreams. Yikes, that big pic was bad enough.

Did I ever tell you about the time I had a millipede crawl down my shirt while I was sleeping? I'm sure you heard me screaming all the way up there in Michigan.

Stephanie V said...

Oh, my, earwigs! Sometimes the get in the house with clothes that have been drying outside. Or they lurk in some flowers just waiting to slither on to your hand. I think they're harnless but they sure look creepy and malevolent. I wonder why they've decided to invade your house?

Rudee said...

Stephanie, if I knew the answer to that, I'd not be sharing my abode. I wonder if it's because there is so much old stuff around here. A hundred year old home, old trees, lots of shade, mulch, decaying gunk. They like that stuff. As I watered the impatien plants on the porch today, one of them slithered out of the planter. You should have heard me yelp like a schoolgirl. I'm pathetic.

Rudee said...

Pyzahn, I'm going to have one more beer tonight to be sure I don't dream about that vision. I am LMAO though. Thanks for that.

sandy said...

ohhh I remember that story. I like bugs, not in my house, but to look at real up close and take pics of.

eeeewwwwww, but if one crawled in my ear or something...I would be screaming.

Gail said...

I was going to say earwigs and you already knew!

The Crusty Crone said...

EARWIGS!! Oh I hate those little buggers. (pun intended.) I hate anything where you can see their CLAWS/PINCHERS with your naked eye.

We have them here. I've not heard of mass invasions, though. They are so good at hiding! Hiding in sheets brought in from the outside clothes line.... sleeping bags, in anything.

I am personally aware, based on previous ER employment (clerical, not medical), that roaches do, indeed, crawl into ear canals. EUUUUU!!!! If roaches can do it, so can earwigs. Not that their name has any baring on things.

Sister Squealer

Anonymous said...

OH MY GOD!!! Now I'm worried I have a bug in me! These are ugly.