It’s getting cold, guys! It’s that time of year where the leaves are all on the ground, the sky is gloomy, and the weather is freezing. If you’re like me and you’re a little bummed about the chill, I thought you could use a pick me up! Let’s look at the bright side, shall we? No more creepy crawly things to freak us out!
I figured I’d make a post to encourage you (and myself) to embrace the change in temperature. So, I’m going to share with you some freaky little bugs that are no longer gonna be out because it’s just too dang cold for them. Now, how can we complain about no bugs? It’s a definitely upside to the chilly winds blowing through town.
Without further ado, I present seven bugs that are no longer an issue (at least until it warms up again, that is. But we aren’t going to think about that yet).
First up, ticks! (ugh)
Okay, so I think it is safe to say that no one wants these guys around (sorry little dudes!) The thought of something biting down and hanging on for the ride just to suck your blood is extremely creepy and gross. You can be rest assured that two of three ticks above aren’t active when it gets cold. However, that Blacklegged Tick stays around until it’s below freezing. Which shouldn’t be too far away, so I guess that’s something you can look forward too…
Alright guys, check out this American Pelecinid Wasp. It’s the stuff of nightmares, for real.
Normal wasps are terrifying to me, it’s enough to make me cry if they come near me, but I cant even imagine what I’d do if this monstrosity came flying near me. Now, and hear me out, this chick isn’t as scary as she looks. That giant scorpion-like stingy thing? Turns out it doesn’t actually sting anything, its so she can stab it into the ground and lay eggs. Makes you feel a little safer right? Yeah, me too.
This one is straight out of a horror film. Even the name of this one is creepy. The Spined Assassin Bug. Yep, you read that right.
Honestly, I can definitely see this guy on the big screen. Imagine an old black and white Twilight Zone episode where someone is shrunken down and they look up to see this monster is running towards them at full speed in that old timey CGI. And then Rod Serling closes out the episode…
This next one hides under leaves, rocks, and whatnot during winter time. It’s known as the Water Strider.
I can’t be the only one who thinks they’re creepy! I mean they scurry along the surface of water, that’s weird, right!? Kind of a funny story, when I was little I’d call them water spiders. Turns out, I wasn’t too far off from the right name. Anyway, it makes sense why they wouldn’t be out in winter. No water for them to glide on! Probably less food too.
This next one is more of a warning than a silver lining, sorry! Stink Bugs actually find their way into your homes once it gets cold out so they don’t freeze to death.
For real though, everyone hates these little guys and I feel bad. It’s not their fault! In theory, there shouldn’t be any foul smelling odors as long as you leave them alone.
So you know how some birds fly south for the winter? Well, I guess there are some bugs that do that too. I actually think this is really interesting. I can’t be the only one that wonders where all the bugs go once it gets cold. Anyway….
Some adult Milkweed Bugs actually fly south for the winter instead of hiding around under things. These guys aren’t exactly creepy, but many people just don’t like bugs in general, right?
This last one is a bug that I personally kind of hate. The Lady Bug actually hides around in attics and stuff in larger clusters during winter months, so watch out. Just a couple things that I want to clarify. They bite and they do have smell. I have always declared that they’re nasty little buggers and that I can tell when one is around because they have a certain smell to them, but everyone always told me it was in my head. Well, I would just like to officially tell my mom I TOLD YOU SO. According to https://www.insectidentification.org/ they do emit a smell and they do bite. So I would like an apology for all those times I told her I didn’t like them and she told me they were harmless.
So I hope I helped you with your cold weather blues (even if it was barely at all). If you have any bugs that you absolutely can’t stand, let me know in the comments!
Welp, I butter fly away before I bug you all too much!
~~Cheyenne~~
The Great Outdoors 