Green Lacewing - a delicate fellow.

There are numerous bugs which live among us each summer and go without notice.  This is especially true for those who mind their own business, don't bite or crawl through our houses. 

The Green Lacewing is such a fellow.  I first saw one on the west coast of Newfoundland in the 1980s.  Now they are spread throughout but are still easy to miss.  As the name implies, the wings are very fine works of lace. The eyes can be golden in colour.  If they are resting on plants they are near invisible - about an inch long.  Lacewings are rarely inside your house. Sometimes they give off an unpleasant odour when handled.  I tend to leave them alone - the wings are just too easily damaged. 

Lacewings, both as larvae and adults, are very beneficial in the garden - they feed on aphids.  They pose no threat to people.  Next summer enjoy these little pieces of lace, and let them go their way untouched!

 

An Ideal Bug For Kids.

In my last post I touched on fear of bugs and how most kids are intrigued by things that crawl.  The question is - which bugs are so harmless that kids (or yourself) might be very comfortable touching them?  One option is the Stink Bug. I know, not exactly the best name for a 'touching' recommendation. 

Stink Bugs are common in Newfoundland throughout the summer.  If you are clothesline person no doubt one has made its way into the house. They are about the size of your fingernail.  Stink Bugs have sucking mouth parts so pose no threat to you.  The best thing about these six-legged beauties is that they will mostly hang around. Place them on a child's hand and they will walk all around.  Though they are able to fly most times they simply stay put. 

Oh - the stink.  Fortunately, Stink Bugs only use their defense system when threatened.  If you happen to hold it too sight or sqeeze it accidentially - stink!  Even then it's distinct but not all that bad. 

Next summer introduce your child to a Stink Bug.  It will be a huge leap in reducing fear of bugs!!

Got a Bug Phobia?

It's an amazing thing - something in the back of ancient brain tells us to avoid bugs; to jump, scream and squish any that come near. Of course there is a good arguement for learned behaviour.  A kid who is left alone will most likely pick up a carpenter (sow bug) and examine it.  Many of our behaviours come from observing the norms of those around us.  In a future posting I will introduce some really cool and safe bugs which young kids embrace with facination...you might too!

So, are you scared of bugs - is it a phobia?  You may recall a movie called Arachnophobia?   It highlighted one of the primary bug phobias - the fear of spiders (the phobia includes insects like scorpions).  Most people do not like spiders and other insects.  Choosing not to brush up against a spider's web or allowing some insect to scurry by at a safe distance is a normal, socially-driven discomfort with bugs.  They are creepy and crawly; how are we supposed to know which ones are safe?  Scan through this blog - when I highlight an insect I will discuss its ability to cause harm. 

When is it a phobia?   A phobia is a irrational, intense and persistent fear.  There is an excessive and unreasonable desire to avoid the object/situation.  It's important to note that it is irrational - people say/think 'I should know better'.  For example, a person with a wasp phobia might react by letting go of a steering wheel and loosing all control of  car simply to get the thing off.   A key question is 'is it interfering with my life?'.  If so, and you wish to change this, check out a psychologist.  They do systematic desensitization - the thing of fear is gradually introduced over time and eventually you are able to move past it.  

This is a heavy topic.  Most bugs weigh less than your fingernail and most will not cause harm.  By the way, none of the hundreds of spiders which have walked across my hands have ever bitten me.  

Centipedes...ugh!

It does seem like a rather odd time of year to write about bugs.  I'll re-post the bunch next summer. With those final pre-winter chores outside you might encounter things like - centipedes. 

Even to folks who are bug-friendly or even bug-tolerant, the centipede seems to be one nasty fellow.  They appear out of nowhere, love to hang under things in your garden and look gruesome!  All those 30 legs flailing away and something in the back of our brain says 'this thing is dangerous'. 

Centipedes are swift and self-reliant.  They make their own way in the world and aren't going to hang around waiting to be picked up.  Centipedes are quite flat so will certainly make their way into your house at times under the door or while on something else.  Your house is not really welcoming to them, however. They need soil and debris, rotting plants and insect prey. 

Centipedes will not damage your house.  Even better, they will not seek to crawl into your ears.  In some parts of the province centipedes are mistakenly referred to as earwigs.  They do have a high squirm factor! 

These predators have poison jaws which they use to paralyze their prey.  They rarely bite people and are most apt to seek escape if you pick one up.  A bite would be painful.  There are about 8000 species of centipedes in the world, including the Amazonian Giant Centipede which is 12 inches long.  Ugh!

They'll be in your garden - might as well leave them to their work!

Bed Bugs...and a night in a St. John's hotel.

Amazingly, bed bugs have swept the nation.  They are small and have the ability to hide quite well.  These bugs can go for months without feeding so finding them can be difficult.  Their bodies are thin which allows them to hide in tiny spaces.  They rarely come out in the daytime. Placed among other bugs this one would hardly make one squirm.  They are no bigger than a black fly.  

The thing is - they are in our BEDS!  We hate to have anything crawling in our BEDS!  :)

You will not likely feel yourself being bit.  Bed bugs allow us to settle into the bed and inject saliva before feeding.  We don't feel a thing.  Things become apparent in the morning.  Some people have no reaction at all; most have skin irritations much like mild to severe fly bites.  The arms and shoulders are the most likely to be affected.

I spent a night last week in a St. John's hotel.  After about 40 minutes in bed I was still thinking instead of sleeping - I wondered about bed bugs.  I took a look - none on the bed and none present around the edges.  No bites the next morning.  I hope this is the same throughout the city.
Sweet dreams.

The Earwig

Might as well start blogging with an insect which is common in most areas of the province.  It's also one which people universally can't stand to have around: the Earwig!

With their thin bodies and stealth they seem to easily make their way into our homes.  We don't like to pick them up because of the scary-looking pinchers.  The actual name for those things is cerci.  Earwigs use them for defense against other insects.  However, they will give you a pinch if you place your finger close enough - they are basically harmless. 

How about your ears?  The name earwig comes from the old superstition that they crawl in to people's ears.  Fortunately, this is untrue.  Earwigs like to spend their days around dead vegetation and are usually on the move at night.  They are plant eaters and scavengers.

Earwigs inside the house are common in fall.  The cold weather is coming and your house is a warm safe place.  The good news is that they will not cause any damage inside. Cutting down on the numbers of Earwigs in your house should be accomplished by cleaning up old outside vegetation and making sure there are no gaps under your doors.