Finalists: 1. mosquitoes 2. flies 3. lice 4. pantry moths 5. bedbugs 6. termites 7. scorpions 8. gnats 9. roaches 10. fleas 11. no-see-ums 12. aphids 13. ticks 14. ants 15. chiggers 16. (write in candidate) Which bugs have changed your life or enjoyment of life most? Right now, it's mosquitoes bugging me.
mosquitos. makes it damn near impossible being outdoors in the early evening hours on my deck from April to October. Living near Shoal Creek, where those buggers breed, sucks in that regard. roaches creep me out, but they don't change my behavior or affect how i live my life.
While seeing two roaches ******* in the garage last weekend was pretty disgusting, the 5 red wasps that stung my back causing muscle spasms and then breathing problems before the soreness of the back spasms settled in for the rest of the week bugged me more.
No roach sex at all! Really, it is chiggers for me, because I go bird watching in different natural areas, and those damned bugs can be anywhere, and you just can't get rid of the itching for days once they get their creepy little hooks into you. You don't know they are there until later. You know if mosquitos are around. And you usually can use varying levels of mosquito repellant to ward them off, from non-toxic to highly toxic, depending on how hungry the buggers are, and you can live with them. Growing up in Galveston may have tempered my tolerance to them, however. I'll rank the top three in this order: chiggers, fleas, TCU.
Accuratehorn, When you go out into the woods and come back (it's usually an area with lots of hosts like cattle or deer) sprinkle a bit of baking soda on yourself and use a washrag in the shower. It really does work on chiggers. You don't have to go nuts or anything. Just sprinkle it on and wipe it off with the rag. It has to be done before they burrow into your waistband, etc.
The more I think about it, you really kinda DO have to go nuts and I'm sure you know what that means. You just don't have to go nuts with scrubbing.
Roaches, roaches, roaches. They're disgusting, and we can't seem to get completely rid of them. Also fleas. Damn things are indestructible!
Mosquitoes then flies. They infect the urban environment more so than the other things. They make it impossible to enjoy an outdoor bbq, or just hanging out on your patio without some form of chemical warfare. Roaches at least have the good sense to run away from you, or at least not really bother you. Fleas would be third. Again, urban environs and chemical warfare are necessary. And if they invade your home, you will consider, at some point, burning everything you own and starting over.
Fleas lay eggs that lay dormant for centuries until something warm vibrates them. Like your children or dogs. or even just a squeewhirl.
I think it depends on the season. This week it's flies. I don't know how so many of them got into the house but they are everywhere. My Dad showed me a trick that has helped a little. Did you know that listerine in a spray bottle will kill flies? He says it works on mosquitoes as well. Still, they are really irritating.
When I was at UT I had a little garage apartment in Travis Heights for a while, and one time I got in the shower and this huge flying roach started buzzing around me. I'm pretty sure I peed myself and then screamed like a little *****.
OK, i know i posted 'mosquitos" originally, but right now i am dealing with chigger bites at my ankles and it is driving me insane. at least with mosquitos, you know you are getting bit immediately. chiggers: never saw 'em, never felt them, never knew they were there.. 24 hours later.. 2 dozen itchy bites on my ankles.
Okay, we're ready for the tournament. So, the seeding brackets are: 1. Mosquitos 2. Bed Bugs 3. Scorpions 4. Crabs 1. Roaches 2. Flies 3. Lice 4. Ticks 1. Chiggers 2. Fleas 3. Bees/wasps/hornets/yellowjackets 4. Scabies 1. Fire Ants 2. Termites 3. Spiders 4. Pantry moths Analysis: The Fireants look to have a "cakewalk" to the final four, with their opening game probably the most challenging, since Pantry Moths are tough if you haven't played them before. Termites have not been that strong in years; it seems that the league has figured them out. Fireants are famous for their work ethic and precision teamwork, which should carry them through the bracket. Chiggers and Fleas are really in a tough bracket together, with scabies somewhat of a dark horse. You just never know which Bees/Wasps team is going to show up: their highlight reel is off the charts. With three stinging teams in one region, this bracket brings a lot of offense, and should be a crowd favorite. The Roaches don't really look tough on paper, but they are survivors in any tournament format. If Flies--with their potent air attack--can get by Lice, which is no easy task, they have to go on the road against the strong ground game and defense of Roaches. Mosquitos are extremely upset at the seedings. They get Crabs first, a tough out, and then probably get Bed Bugs in the regional finals, who can be extremely aggressive and bothersome. So, who will win? Well, that's why we play the games! Mosquitos bring the most balance of any team, with their combination of high energy, great numbers, their elusiveness and decent stinging offense. (Plus, they do add just a little buzzing noise, which is a nice touch.) Ever since the DDT rules changes, they've been virtually unstoppable. Fire Ants bring the same energy, with robotic precision and a better stinging game, but their elusiveness is nonexistent, and until the league disallows the Amdro defense, they probably can't run the table. (And, no noise.) Roaches, if they get that far, will have home field advantage over whoever comes out of the Chiggers/Fleas bracket, and Roaches are definitely at the advantage in an indoor game at night. I just can't pick a definite winner yet, but again, Mosquitos just seem to bring their A game every year, indoors and outdoors. And, in a game of attrition, that one last Mosquito can really bug you to no end, following you right into the bedroom, whereas once Fire Ants or Roaches are down to their last player, they have lost their mystique.
the Ticks got screwed in the seeding! Not only did they think they were a strong 2 seed, now they have to go against a strong 1 seed in the 1st round! on a semi serious note: after seeing that list, one wonders why one would ever venture outdoors. That is a lot of unpleasantness listed there!
roaches spread salmonella and other bacteria and can cause asthma. also they can crawl in your ears and nose while you sleep. nothing is worse than that.
