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Eating Maggots with your Raisins

Bug horror story
Location: Stuttgart, Arkansas
August 9, 2011 1:52 pm
I was grocery shopping one night with my two daughters. The youngest saw raisins, and wanted them, so I bought a 6 pack of individual serving boxes.
We got to the car, loaded the groceries, and dug out the package of raisins. I stripped off the cellophane and handed her a box, and drove on home. Within 3 minutes, she wanted more, so I gave her another box. I decided to munch on one myself.
I opened my box, and tumped a few into my mouth. By the second bite, I noticed they didn’t taste quite right. My older daughter turned on the light, and poured the raisins into her hand. Imagine my utter disgust when I saw her hand was full of half-eaten raisins, and living maggots.
I have not been able to eat raisins since…
Since this form requires me to attach a photo, even though I don’t have one relevant to the story, please enjoy my image of ants devouring a pecan.
Signature: Grossed out in Arkansas

Ants Eat Pecan

Hi Grossed out in Arkansas,
We sympathize with your trauma. We hope your individual box was the only one infested with maggots. Your letter is definitely worthy of tagging as Worst Bug Stories Ever!!! It is worth noting that maggots are consumed in some cultures, and we doubt that there will be any negative health ramification other than the psychological trauma. Your ant photo, though not related to the raisin story, could in itself provide the narrative element for another Worst Bug Story Ever.

ALL of the boxes had maggots….. Ants are my phobia, but even I thought the ants devouring the pecan was pretty cool. But I won’t be eating any pecans from my yard anytime soon since I know I have ants that like them!

Hi again Grossed out in Arkansas,
Perhaps you are raising an entomophage, a person who likes to eat insects. If it is any consolation, we suspect what you mistook for maggots was more likely the grubs of a beetle like a Drugstore Beetle or other species of beetle that commonly infests stored food products. Maggots are fly larvae and they would be more likely to be found in garbage that contains putrefying flesh or rotting vegetable matter.

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¶ Posted 09 August 2011 § Ants § Maggots ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Cockroaches served with Pretzels in Manhattan

”Mustard” Bug
Location: Manhattan, NY, NY
August 8, 2011 8:17 pm
I bought a pretzel off of a vendor in Manhattan. He put it in a brown paper bag because I was going to take it to go. He didn’t have mustard packets available, but did have a warehouse sized size of yellow mustard on his stand. It’s August and has been consistently humid and a minimum of 85 degrees a day for over a month now. The bottle looked as though it had seen better days, but I figured, once I got upstairs to my office I’d wash my hands after touching it and eat my pretzel. So I proceeded to squeeze some mustard onto the side of the bag and carefully went upstairs, where I tore the bag apart to make a plate and mindlessly ate some pretzel as I worked on my computer. Half way through the pretzel I looked at my mustard and thought, ”what are those green things? Oh no, I hope there’s no dirt in the bag”….ugh! if only it was that good. I moved the ”green things” around and it turns out they were black worms or bugs or larva of some sort. with orange/yellow stripes, legs and antennas! I’m disgusted! I don’t know if it came from the mustard that’s probably been sitting on his cart since the winter, or if they originated from the paper bag and the mustard killed them. Please help me identify these things and let me know that I won’t get a parasite of some sort. I’ve attached pictures.
Signature: grossed out

Cockroach Nymphs

Dear grossed out,
Your pretzel vendor is serving immature Cockroaches with his pretzels. We will be tagging your submission as one of the Worst Bug Stories Ever.

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¶ Posted 09 August 2011 § Cockroaches ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Lice Infestation from a park bench in Santa Monica

Tick tock
Location: US, California, Santa Monica
July 26, 2011 3:14 pm
Did I ever think I would be writing an email to someone called the Bugman. No. lol. But now I am glad I found you.
Dear Sir,
I have what looks like a tick? Photos to follow.
Location: Santa Monica, California. Douglas Park just off Whilshire Blvd.
Tues July 26th, 12pm, 70 degrees.
Douglas park is a few acres big, tons of people moving about. Veterinarian hospital next door to it (matter?) Has three duck ponds. The ponds are closed off for renovation. No water in the ponds just dug up and moved earth for now. Hey maybe it has something to do with the bugs? idunno
We sat on a bench for about 5-8mins in the park. NO trees hanging over head so the bugs came from bottom to top. My counterpart was covered in mite sized tick looking bugs. Approximately 100 to 150. I had only a few on my shoes. She had a long pair of cloth stretchy pants that touched the ground. So they must have climbed her cloth and they had trouble on my sneakers. She was covered, I was not. We sat side by side.
They were inside her pants and outside. I had to beg her not to get naked at the park.
I brushed them off and noticed they seemed to be getting squashed, so I would say soft body insects.
I told her they were aphids to calm her down. But in my mind I was freaking out. Covered, covered, covered. They only made it to her lower body.
When we got back to the house I set her clothes in the sun and they all vacated into the seams and darker areas of her clothes. They hated the sun? I also noticed that they would raise there lower body into the air and try to barrow into my shoe. So I figured it was a tick?
I suppose they came from the park. Do we need to notify anyone? Can you help ID these suckers?
Signature: what does this mean? Please don’t worry about signing it?

Louse

Please don’t shoot the messenger. You’ve got Lice. While this is most certainly a Louse, and we are linking to images of Human Lice on BugGuide, we do not have the necessary skills to determine what species of Louse this is, however, we have a strong suspicion it is a Human Louse. BugGuide indicates that Sucking Lice in the family Anaplura which includes the Human Louse are: “Parasites of mammals. Most species are restricted to one or a few hosts” and that they are characterized by being “Wingless, flat-bodied. Resemble chewing lice but the head is narrower than the thorax. Mouthparts are fitted for piercing skin and sucking blood.“ It is possible that the person who sat on, or slept on the park bench prior to your arrival had poor hygiene habits, perhaps from a lack of bathing, and the Lice remained behind. If there is a high indigent population frequenting the park, it is highly likely that would be the source of the Lice infestation. We haven’t tagged anything as Worst Bug Story Ever in quite some time, but we think your experience warrants tagging in that category. We would strongly recommend seeking professional attention to prevent any spread of this infestation to family and friends.

Louse, probably Human Louse

So yes, I was informed yesterday that they are lice. Gross. Lice that crawled up from the ground. Interestingly, if they were on the bench we were sitting on, they would have gotten on my shorts. But they only got on my shoes and her shoes and pants pants. They for sure climbed up from the ground not the bench in this case.
So it is day two. After having the bug ID last night, I went and bought lice shampoo. We both used it. But, neither of us have yet had an itch yet. So I am freaking out waiting to itch. I have searched her high and low. Ans myself. nothing so far. No itching just yet.
I guess it would be safe to say if nothing serious happens after 7 days I am in the clear?
But this is only part way into day two. So I am trying to aggressively dodge this bullet and not wait.
If we get lice I will let you know. I am so disappointed. So bizarre to.
Thanks
Antony

Hi Antony,
You are lucky you began treatment immediately. Please keep us posted.

Dodging the Lice bullet
July 29, 2011
Well I think it is safe to say that we dodged the bullet here!
After my GF being cover, truly infested with lice, over 150 lice crawling all over her shoes and pants. Well nothing made it higher. I suppose most people find out they have lice after the fact. We had the complete opposite. We visually discovered it before they made it to the top. I have never heard of a case like this. Neither one of us have been itchy or have any bites, nit or egg looking particle in the hair, or anything and the discovery of adult lice swarming the lower body happened on Tues am. It is like a miracle.
I spoke to the ground crew at Douglass park in Santa Monica. He mentioned there are so many bums sleeping around the park that one of them must have had clothes or items on the ground under that bench. He had seen someone sleeping near the bench earlier that day. We were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is sad to because so many kids play there and parents and folks relax there, that to have bums laying around the park covered in lice is a terrible mix. I will be forever scarred from the visual of 150-200 lice swarming the pant legs of my hysteric GF. Me telling her they are aphids though I thought they were ticks. Turns out they were lice…lol.
Happened Tues and it is Fri. I think it is safe to say we made it? We dodged 200 lice. Go figure? Thanks for your help, I have researched lice and seen way to many lice pictures on the internet that if I ever encounter this again I will not be as freaked out.
Thanks again,
Anthony

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¶ Posted 27 July 2011 § Louse ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged: Household Pests

Indian Meal Moths and possibly Delusory Parasitosis

WHAT ARE THE POSSIBILITIES THIS BUG IS PARASITIC? OR MAYBE ITS PARASITES PARASITIC?
Location: Urban ”forest” Surrey BC
May 13, 2011 2:31 pm
Dear Mr. Bug man
moved into ground level condo one year ago 3 months ago rash developed. shortly there after began seeing moth like winged guys (once or twice) very late at night in kitchen. Got extermination stuff. dr said the moth and rash were not related and that rash was scabies. Did treatment washed everything in house steamed extra. while doing scabies treatment small slightly transparent creature came out of my eye and then went under my fingernail. Husband dr. and mother think I am crazy. Other strange occurrences. Husband acnologes moths as pests but refuses to believe my story. I have been under stress at work… dr says the mind is very powerful and my stress has triggered these delusions.
Can you give any insight into this?
Heres some specimens i have collected. There are also ”lint” like cases attached to many of our clothes… which everyone also says I am over reacting to…. Ive never had so much lint. also had two budgies recently die…. related? or have I gone mad?
im hoping I have gone mad…
Christina
Signature: An otherwise normal happy slightly exentric housewife

Indian Meal Moth

Dear Christina,
We need to begin our response with a disclaimer. We are not doctors and we have no qualifications to diagnose any health related issues, nor are we entomologists, so any insect identifications we provide are questionable at best. We are artists who have a mission to promote an appreciation of the lower beasts as well as to make people aware of the interconnectivity of all things on our fragile planet and beyond. With that stated, we are convinced that the moth in your photo is an Indian Meal Moth, Plodia interpunctella, and that you have also supplied us with a photo of its larva. You may find information and photos of the Indian Meal Moth on Bugguide and you can also compare your larva to this image of an Indian Meal Moth Larva on BugGuide. According to BugGuide, the Indian Meal Moth: “infests a wide variety of stored food products such as flour, oatmeal, dried fruits, seeds, nuts, powdered milk, biscuits, chocolate, and bird seed“ With that said, it is senseless to try to exterminate your Indian Meal Moth problem with pesticides since they are feeding on your food. The pesticides would need to be applied directly to your food before they would have any effect on the problem. You should thoroughly inspect the food in your pantry and definitely discard anything past the expiration date. Pay close attention to corn meal, oatmeal and any boxed cake mixes or flour products. You should be able to locate the place where the larvae are feeding and dispose of those items. Larvae are the destructive stage and adult moths do not feed on stored foods. It is virtually impossible to rid you home of all insects, but you can take certain precautions to guard your clothing against clothes moths. Sachet was a popular item in days of yore. There are certain herbs that are known to discourage insects from damaging clothing. These dried herbs can be sewn into small silken pouches and hung on hangers with woolens and other organic fibers. The herbs of choice include lavender, sage, rosemary, wormwood and peppermint. Not only will this sachet repel moths, it will also make your clothes smell nice. We do not know what caused your birds to die. If your doctor believes that stress is contributing to your condition, you should follow his advice or perhaps seek a second opinion. There is a condition known as Delusory Parasitosis and here is a link to a journal article called Delusory Parasitosis by Nancy C. Hinkle that originally appeared in American Entomologist, Volume 46, Number 1 in Spring 2000. Stress can cause the mind to trigger delusions, and “Bugs” are an easy target. We hope your condition improves.

Larva of Indian Meal Moth

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¶ Posted 14 May 2011 § Diseases: Real and Imagined § Pantry Moths, Clothes Moths, Case-Bearers and Meal Moths ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged: Household Pests

Worst Story Ever: Cockroach Infestation in Poland cured with Borax Potato Balls

cockroach infestation cured by pharmacist
May 4, 2011 7:55 pm
Hi there. This is possibly a candidate for Worst Stories Ever…I don’t know if you approve of killing cockroaches, so perhaps this will be an unwelcome post, but I have a feeling you don’t approve of them living in your home with you.
I have a story about my grandma in Poland who, through her pharmacist’s suggestion, was able to end her horrible cockroach infestation with nothing more than what she had around the house and an hour of her time.
My grandma lives in a very old building and has not had the money to do any upkeep for many years. After visiting her one time I looked forward to my next visit, as she raised me, and was horrified upon getting there, to find out that she was dealing with a cockroach infestation. Although an animal fan, I am beyond scared when it comes to crawly things that live with you. They were in the fridge, on the floor, walked on top of the couch, and fell on my hand once when I opened the light. She was already used to it. I barely survived staying there 2 weeks, but a year later I got the news that the infestation was over.
How is this possible? I was dreading my grandmother coming down with some illness and having nightmares of them taking over the house, and here they just disappeared? Apparently she had gone to the pharmacy, as she often needed to for her meds, and happen to mention the problem. The pharmacist told her the cure-all and within a couple of weeks (if not faster) it was over.
She boiled some potatoes till they were soft, and rolled them into balls with (sorry I’m not sure) either borax or another laundry detergent, and placed them around the house, and in the closets, etc. The balls disappeared and they’ve never returned.
Is this a known solution? I don’t care either way though – I’ve never been so thankful for a mass murder!
Signature: Maggie

Hi Maggie,
We do not think less of your grandmother for using the described method to rid her home of Cockroaches. Boric Acid is a well known insect deterrent. Here is an interesting account we found on the internet. Here is an account of Borax used to deter ants.

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¶ Posted 04 May 2011 § Cockroaches ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged:

Unknown Parasite

Unknown bug in human skin (blood too?)
Location: Sierra Foothills, S. Central California
November 12, 2010 4:51 pm
I somehow got infested with a small bug that is NOT 8 legged (i.e. tick, crab,
scabies, bed-bug,etc.) but in its larger state looks more like a caraway seed with one end rounded. The smaller versions look the same. Some are speck sized. They have burrowed under my skin and will only come up when I apply bleach, Comet (that’s how I found out they were bugs and not thorns) or rubbing alcohol. My MD is baffled and I have consulted an Infectious Disease specialist who has sent samples (obtained after my GP gave me a parasite remover that I had to swallow (4 of them) on an empty stomach.
The specialist says she can’t identify them – or wouldn’t identify them until we got a lab report back. My secondary symptoms include SEVERE pain that radiates from the base of my skull down my neck and right shoulder. I’ve had to go to my MD for pain shot relief. She also gave me an anti-spasm, anti-inflammatory drug that seems to help. No one has EVER heard of this and, the specialist is so blaze’ about it, she didn’t even put a rush to the lab. There appear to be thousands of them in my skin and blood. (No exaggeration here.) I am going out of my mind. The little ones crawl out of my skin – especially when I’m hot (I have a jacket
or sweatshirt on) and I find them in my bedding in the morning or embedded in my
underpants. She said that they are NOT transferable, but I’m out on disability until we can know, for certain, what they are and how to kill them. My MD has ordered a CAT scan of my head (next Tuesday 11/16). I really can’t tell you much more about the bug, but it appears to have two translucent ”feeler”-like appendages that come out of the pointy end and sometimes stick out of my skin. (Breathing tubes?) I can’t see for certain, but I suspect that they have little, short legs on the sides of their ”caraway seed” shaped body and the larger ones have visible
lines that run across the bug (horizontally). They are both black and also rusty brown color. I haven’t been out of the country, but I do live next to a small river (Tule River) that has a pretty stagnant part on my land that I’ve had to wade into to clean off my pump filter. At this point I don’t have a clue where it came from. I just want it gone, and I’m loosing my mind. I also forgot to mention that I’m somewhat bug-phobic. HELP (if you can). I don’t think the photo I’m sending will be of any help. My digital just won’t give it the clarity. Just for reference, I shot the picture on a 8-1/2 X 11” piece of paper that I folded into quarter sized (4ths). I believe I’ve had this infestation for over a year, but just recognized them as ”bugs”.
Signature: Frantic in the Foothills

Unknown Parasite

Dear Frantic in the Foothills,
We sympathize with your infestation, but we are at a loss as to what this could be. We are not medical specialists and we are very reluctant to give health advice. We are quite curious what the specialist determines regarding this matter.

Dear Daniel,
Thank you for your response, even though you can’t identify the bug. I have to admit the
photograph wasn’t the least bit helpful. I did, however, just buy a microscope that has a
digital camera attached, so maybe you can at least identify the “bug”. I firmly believe it
came from the water and not the land. I don’t expect you to diagonse my infestation
(that’s why I’ve consulted an Infectious Disease Specialist), but knowing what the bug
(worm?) is would give me a kick-start.
At any rate, I’ll certainly let you know when I find out. This is one for the books. I’m going
to bypass the book and go straight to the screenplay.
Thanks again for responding. Most sites would have just blown me off.
Regards,
Frantic in the Foothills (aka Jan)

Hi again Jan,
We wish you the best of luck in eliminating this problem and would be more than happy to post any updates you are able to provide including better quality images. We try not to be alarmist but we cannot help but ponder how things like global travel and global warming are affecting the range expansion of species that once had isolated distributions. Tropical diseases like West Nile Virus and Invasive Exotic species like the Emerald Ash Borer are wreaking havoc in areas where they have been introduced. Water is a well documented method for the transference of pathogens there are numerous diseases that incorporate complex life cycles that include multiple unrelated hosts. We are sorry we are unable to provide you with any concrete diagnosis.

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¶ Posted 13 November 2010 § Diseases: Real and Imagined ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged: mysteries

Worst Bug Story Ever Candidate: Maggots

decade old nightmare. Maggots that ate live kittens/bunnies?
September 2, 2010 1:57 am
Dear Man of Bugs,
First and foremost I apologize I have no photos, but this horrific season took place a good ten years ago, and photographic evidence would only serve to scar you the way I am now irrevocably scarred.
When I was younger, I lived in Kentucky. We had a rabbit farm. Come warm weather, all the rabbits had their precious babies and the barn cats had kittens. One day I went to look at these precious darling bunnies, these tiny miracles, and when I pulled back the fur in the nesting box… they were basically mutilated. I very clearly remember the writhing maggots (white) and the lesions on LIVING creatures. I found the same waking nightmare on the barn kittens. The common link was all the animals were too yong to be mobile, and seemed to have pus in their eyes/diarrhea, and seemed thin. I do not know if this is because the gates of hell unleashed meat eating maggots on them, or they got these parasites because they were ill. I am still very traumatized by this, partly because nobody here up north believes me or can relate. I spent the rest of that summer guarding my dog’s litter of puppies, keeping them dry, warm, clean, and healthy. I truly believe my anxiety disorder started w
ith these unspeakable terrors. I learned, Bug Man, that something that looks as harmless as a grain of rice can devour your flesh, and really quickly. Life suddenly wasn’t so carefree anymore. Kittens can literally be stripped of their hides and life doesn’t care. Chilling, for a twelve year old.
I know I wasn’t delusional (well, at least back then.) Did I manage to fall through a rip in time and space and I was actually IN hell, or do these things writhe the earth?
Thanks very much for your time.
Susan

Dear Susan,
Without a photograph, our response is purely speculative. There is a family of Flies known as Bot Flies whose larvae are endoparasites on mammals, but your encounter was probably with the Maggots of Blow Flies. Here is a National Geographic story on the benefits of treating wounds with maggots. As your letter indicates, sickly newborn creatures might be infested with maggots and not survive the encounter.

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¶ Posted 02 September 2010 § Maggots ‡ Comments (0) ° Also tagged: