By Jonathan Arsenault
So Spring is here. FINALLY! Greeting us with warmer weather, lots of …rain, and …bugs… And there are plenty of them around. However, some are more annoying than others. And here at the Current OC, we’ve picked out some of the worst of the bad bugs in the batch. So not to leave you completely defenseless from the smallest threats in the wild, we’ve got some tips on how to deal with them and to help keep your home bug free.
One of the most common of all the pint sized pests is of course, the stealthy eight legged stalkers, spiders. These little creeps are mostly known for their phobia, arachnophobia. Almost everyone has a fear of spiders. With their eight legs, eight eyes, two poisonous fangs, and enigmatic webs. These creatures are basically living nightmares for most people. To the point where some people are so creeped out that they want to take a blow torch and just disintegrate the little things, and people always find them sneaking around in their homes. However it’s not always a good idea to squash them for two main reasons. For one, they primarily eat bugs, meaning they are your natural pest controllers. And secondly, if the one you squish happens to be a mother spider… run. To safely take them out of your home, simply use a cup and paper to scoop them up and take them outside where you can release them safely. However, if one of those spiders happens to be a venomous one such as a Black Widow or a Recluse, you may have another problem if they decide to give a little nibble on your hand. Thankfully in most cases, these bites aren’t fatal but they can cause severe irritation and swelling. Apply a cold washcloth to the bite mark every fifteen minutes and thoroughly wash the wound with soap and water. If the swelling doesn’t go down, and symptoms persist then it’s recommended to go to a doctor to get it checked out.
Next up is a category we are calling The Stingers. You know EXACTLY which bugs these consist of. Wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets are the bane of many people’s existence in Spring and unfortunately, wasps love to build their nests around people’s homes. These beasts of the bug world are known for their painful stings and annoyingly loud buzzing. Their nests are pretty big and hard to deal with. If you find a nest of them hanging around, here’s the ultimate tip. DON’T HIT THE NEST! Unless you want to fight the insect version of the cavalry. Instead, talk to local exterminators to get them out. Or if you have the legs of Usain Bolt, and nerves of steel, you can use pesticide sprays to get them out of there. Just make sure you get the heck out of there. One sting is followed by many others. To treat the stings of these hornets is extremely similar to the way you deal with a spider bite. Just wash the wound with soap and water and apply a cold wash cloth. At least wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets have a reason to sting you.
But do you know what bug has no reason to bite you? That’s right it’s the tick. While yes they do feed on blood why does it have to be MY BLOOD, there are plenty of deer and other wild mammals to warrant a non human diet. But alas we have to deal with these pesky insects. They hate the cold though which is why they like to stick to your legs, arms, and/or neck. They are very difficult to notice while they are crawling up your legs. Once they attach to you, they don’t come off easily. If you notice them early you can usually pick them off. However, simply stomping on them doesn’t work. The best way to deal with them… fire. However there are more than just the common tick. Deer ticks pose a big problem here in NJ not only do they spread lymes disease but they also spread the powassan virus, both of which have no known treatment.
And the same goes for the flying vampires known as mosquitoes. They fly all around and sucks all of my blood which would be fine IF THEY DIDN’T INJECT THE ITCHING JUICE. But there is an upside much like their fantasy counterpart the vampire. They too hate garlic with a passion, so if you want to get rid of them do the same thing people did in the 17th century and wear garlic around your neck. But thankfully, mosquito hawks exist. They are pretty scary to look at but they are harmless to us. They hunt after mosquitoes and eat them up. Getting rid of these annoyances. And then there’s the weirdest one… the Silverfish. I will give them some credit. They are very shiny. Like… wow. Still not as shiny as Wheeldon’s head though. Anyways, these annoyances are fairly harmless to us. They tend to just kinda sit around or steal your snacks. But the real problem comes from the fact that they live inside your walls. Yep. you are never alone. They also for some reason also like sneaking into your showers. I have no clue why but it happens. These guys are a pain in the neck to get rid of which is why it’s best that you call an exterminator. Or if one happens to be staring at you in the bathroom, you can lightly grab them with a paper towel and take them outside. I wouldn’t recommend squashing them though. They tend to make a mess when they get flattened. Spring is a great time. The weather gets warmer, the Sun is always shining. But the bugs can be annoying. There are some neat ones to check out like ladybugs and beetles, but there are always some that can be annoying. Whether it’s stinging you in the back, biting your legs, or taking a sip of your blood from your arm, bugs are always going to be there. They are important to the environment. So it’s best not to squish. Just let them free. However if they do become a problem, your local exterminator is there to help. And there’s always bug repellent.