Just something overheard

Now I know why I really don't like insects apart from bees and ladybirds. When I was in my teens I went to the cinema and was eating a Flake. Some dropped on my top which I ate, only to find it was a spider. I'd left some legs behind. (Shudder). I have been bitten by a mouse which I was trying to rescue, had to have tetanus jab and antibiotics, but luckily not been bitten by a spider or earwig. (Yet!) Ooh don't like figs.

Years ago the village I lived in then had a village carnival day. The Methodist chapel opened for lunches so we decided to have a salad. I was about to start eating when a piece of lettuce literally walked off my plate. On further investigation I could see that it was covering a caterpillar and,even worse, most of the rest of the lettuce was infested with little insects. Needless to say I didn't eat the meal.I think the volunteers who had prepared it were all very elderly and, sadly, probably had problems with their eyesight. As it was for charity I did complain but went home and had a sandwich!

My GD loves the red ladybirds.she used to 'rescue' them & put them in a plastic old takeaway tub, with some grass & leaves..then her parents would find them days later....she meant well....

My parents' generation talked about "eerywigs" for fun. I think it was a music hall joke or a comedian on the radio that started it.

As a child I hated dahlias and michaelmas daisies because there were always earwigs nestling in the flowers. I have now lived in Devon for 42 years and have never seen one in my garden.

Juliet27

It was a huge spider in my rubber glove that bothered me.

At least it was only in your glove. I pulled back the duvet to find a dead spider in the bed. Unfortunately it had bitten me before dying and a very nasty bite at that.

I found a caterpillar in my cabbage at school. Teacher said not to worry it is extra protein.
Taking down the caravan awning when in Spain once found all the rods were full of hundreds of earwigs. Another occasion when camping we left the tent rolled up on the car roof in the hot sun all day whilst visiting Venice. That night on opening the tent found a praying mantis . It lived on the tent for the next few days while we stayed in Verona.
Many countries eat insects and I saw a food programme about replacing meat by insects for protein where the presenter went into the street with dried insects testing the public’s views. Many said they were OK.

Thanks seastar.Didnt think about them getting in at the windows..

I could never eat an insect.makes my stomach churn...I'm the one my sons call for to come catch any bugs or spiders in our house though..ive no qualms about killing them...wouldn't harm a bee or a ladybird or a butterfly though...(or a 'woollyboy')

Now I know why I have never liked figs!

I dont think theyre allowed now to produce cochineal (in uk at least) i think the food colourings are made out of 'natural' colours (plants) but it was around when i was a kid,60's &70's,when i found out what it was i felt sick....

Wasnt there a thing in news a couple of yrs back about the 'small widow' spiders, or some such? Would give a nasty bite like the black widow and become infected?We had some here in the Northwest and ive been on my guard ever since..only good thing about insects is theyre food for birds.

I went to a school meeting and got talking to the woman next to me, who was wearing a cast from ankle to knee, and was quite obviously in pain.

I asked what she'd done, and her reply was that it was a spider bite she had 4 years ago!!!

She had a whole series of skin grafts, bone fusions, and amputations since the bite, and had just had part of her heel bone removed.

She needs a mobility scooter to get around, too.

I learn a lot on this site!

I have a phobia about spiders although I have lived abroad and seen some biggies, but the biggest ones are in England. I live in terror every night of seeing one.

I once had a holiday in Equador which included a 3 day trip to the Amazon rainforest. Once my group were taken to the a local village, where we had a lecture on the villagers customs. Two young girls prepared snacks for us and we were given the opportunity of eating a large cooked bug. I knew this would be my only chance of ever having this delicacy so I had one. It was surprisingly nice.

Another time I worked in a London suburb and at lunchtime used to buy a wonderful Cornish pasty at a shop run by two old ladies. I took my pasty to a nearby park, sat down and began to eat the pasty while enjoying the quiet and the scenery. Then I looked down at the pasty and spotted a large cooked bluebottle in it. I felt quite sick and rushed back to the shop and showed it to the lady, who said, "Oh, sorry about that! I'll give you another one." I said "No! I'll never eat another pasty as long as I live!" Shame, those pasties were so tasty! Previous to this. I was in the shop and noticed the old ladies' cat staring intently down the hall at the side of the shop. I asked the old lady why the cat was staring and she said "He's just looking for a mouse." The shop was eventually closed down by the H and S people.

I don't bring dahlias indoors as earwigs always seem to fall out and run across the table, even though I shake the flowers outside.
Last year I was deadheading my climbing rose(growing up a tall arch), and the old flowers and petals were falling down from the long loppers. I was wearing a v neck t-shirt and bits of dry leaf fell down the neckline and felt prickly. It was only as I got undressed that I noticed a small dead spider in my bra, which I discovered the following day had bitten me on my boob. A nasty swollen red patch with two holes in the centre. Had to get special cream from the chemist to stop the stinging . I shall wear a polo neck next time!

With great trepidation I had my grandchildren to stay last night, one 6 (at school) and the other one 10 (not allowed) and I must say it gave me and my husband such joy to have them. They went home this morning but they are both keen to do it again. Before lockdown we looked after them 3 days a week and they stayed over one. We are not going back to that yet but we shall continue with the sleepover once a week. If you have no overriding symptoms they try, if you feel comfortable continue, if not don’t repeat but the rewards are endless if you do.

Greyjoy have you posted on the right thread?
This one is about ear-wigs.

@MissAdventure - better than finding half a caterpillar. Always soak veggies in water with bicarbonate of soda, please, and then rinse.

A few years ago, my Mum was helping me in the garden when she suddenly started dancing around shouting "Ow," at the top of her voice. She had a hornet up her trouser leg. She rushed to our toilet which was just off the conservatory to remove her trousers but by that time the hornet was going mad and stinging indiscriminately. As she stood on one leg, it made her jump so she promptly dislocated her hip replacement and couldn't move. We had to call an ambulance and where it was so hot, they couldn't get a vein to put a painkiller into her. There was much abuse from her to the paramedics as they tried and when they cut off her trousers, I had never heard her use such ripe language. She ended up in hospital with a hugely swollen right leg, a dislocated left hip and eventually had to undergo a replacement hip replacement! Needless to say, she has never helped me in the garden again.

Some help that was!
Your poor mum, though.

What a calamity, icanhandthemback

I got stung by a hornet and one sting was bad enough
And a horse fly.

I was going to say that insects always make a beeline for me!
Unintentional pun.

Elegran our Dad's must have been related - my Dad always had the 'half a maggot' joke at the ready when my aunt gave us her garden apples, and he too said that as the tiny creature was composed entirely of apple, then it was harmless -and might ad a dash of protein. What a lovely straightforward outlook they had!

'Add a dash' - I wish I had taken a typing course during lockdown.

Boy Oh Boy! There are some gruesome, horror stories on here. I've been itching all over since reading them. Some of you have had some really awful things happening. I'm going to be double checking everything for months. Slugs, snails and earwigs yuk!