According to an article in the Press-Enterprise, the fire ants made their way to North America in the 1930s via cargo ships, which docked in Mobile, Alabama, from South America. By 1998, the fire ants had crossed the country and made a home on the West Coast.

In speaking about the fire ants bites, Les Greenberg, a UC Riverside entomologist told the Press-Enterprise, “If you’re sensitive to the venom of stinging insects, then you have to worry about [fire ants.]”

In fact, there are a small percentage of people who are allergic to fire ant bites according to the article and may suffer from anaphylaxis, also known as anaphylactic shock.

For treatment in milder cases of fire ant bites on humans, Wikipedia notes that a topical steroid cream (hydrocortisone), or one containing aloe vera cream may be appropriate as well as antihistamines.

In certain areas of California, the problem of fire ant infestation has become so severe that counties such as Orange County and parts of Riverside and Los Angeles counties can no longer have soil removed for fear that the fire ant will wreak havoc elsewhere.

Pest control experts are beginning to re-think strategies for controlling the tiny ant. Greenberg said, “Without a statewide (eradication) program, they will continue to spread, that’s for sure.”

How bad is it in some areas? The Cincinnati Health Department received 737 bedbug complaints in 2007.

In Columbus, Ohio, health officials are split between calling this a nuisance issue and a serious health concern. After all, the bites are annoying but not lethal or harmful to your health such that Columbus Health Department spokesman Jose Rodriguez told the Dispatch, “Bedbugs are really looked upon as a nuisance issue.”

But, Susan Jones, an entomology professor at Ohio State University, suggested that with the scabbing that occurs, possible secondary infections and the anxiety of the situation are all health concerns that must be addressed.

In fact, Harvard University suggests that a mild to severe allergic reaction can occur for some who suffer from bed bug bites over a prolonged period of time.

3-year-old Colton Oser is also featured in the article and is shown with awful-looking bed bug bites on his arm. Colton now takes allergy medicine to combat the bed bug bites which look like chicken pox.

With the Cincinnati health department requesting $348,000 for bed bugs education and inspections, Columbus officials are considering a task force be created and has already released its own tip list on bed bugs.

Director of Public Housing at Ohio State University, Claude Nesbit, told the Dispatch that the University needs to double its extermination budged after an infestation forced the emptying of over 100 rooms last year and the treatment of many more rooms to make sure the bed bugs did not spread their chaos.

The southern black widow is not native to Michigan and is thought to have been a stowaway in a dishwasher box sent from Mexico. Black widows do appear in the midwestern United States, but they are not the venomous southern version.

After helping his grandfather unload the dishwasher, Gregory told WOOD-TV that he smashed four black widow spiders. But, within a half-an-hour, a bite appeared and he began to vomit. After visiting the second of two hospitals - the only hospital in Michigan with the proper medicine - he was given a dose of antivenin.

Though the antivenin worked, Gregory’s symptoms of the dangerous black widow spider bite included disruption of his nervous system and excruciating, abdominal pain. As a result, he missed his senior season of football.

Gregory told WOOD that he still has the carcass of the southern black spider and plans to make a necklace out of it.

Oh, the irony!

The Peoria Journal Star is reporting that attendees of the recent Illinois Natural History Survey’s annual Insect Expo were bitten by the minute pirate bug. Joseph Spencer, an insect behaviorist, told the Journal star, “It almost felt like we were being bit by invisible bugs.”

According to the Iowa State University Department of Entomology, are the “rare cousins” of flower bugs and appear in late summer. Reactions vary with pirate bug bites resulting in swelling similar to mosquito bites, redness, no reaction.

The Journal Star says the bugs are commonly confused with buffalo gnats, a.k.a. black flies but don’t bring any disease and are not blood suckers. It is believed that the pirate bugs in the Illinois area feed on insect eggs and mites, consuming corn ear worm eggs.

But, it’s not all bad news in regards to the pirate bug. They actually provide a benefit to humans by controlling ear worm populations around corn crops according to the article. And as long as the pirate bug is well-fed, humans don’t have to worry about being their next meal.

A couple in Manchester, Connecticut, recently endured bed bugs in their luxury apartment before they finally had enough and left. According to NBC 30, the management of the complex didn’t help things, either.

Summer Rodgers, the tenant, told NBC 30, “[My husband] had all these bites on him, and they wouldn’t go away, and the way they bit him was in clusters, which wasn’t the normal mosquito or black-fly bite.”

After calling a bed bugs extermination expert and enduring weeks of treatments of the apartment by the exterminator, their place was still infested so they moved out - throwing out their bed and couch in the process.

Dr. Henry Feder, of St. Francis Hospital, told NBC 30, that even though the bed bug bites are irritating, unless you are allergic, the bed bug bites are not a health threat.

Spoken like someone who never had bed bugs.

From the UK’s Telegraph comes word that spider bite venom may help those afflicted with impotence for arthritis.

Prof Frank Schroeder and Prof Jerrold Meinwald of Cornell University, Ithaca, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that after studying the molecules of venom injected from spider bites of 70 spider species including the brown recluse spider.

In addition to messenger chemicals that go to the brain and nervous system, spider bite venom also carries “different proteins, including enzymes such as hyaluronidase, deoxyribonuclease, ribonuclease, alkaline phosphatase, and lipase, which help to break down tissue, among other things.”

It’s this “break down of tissue” ability that has scientists interested in its application for erectile dysfunction and arthritis.

Not surprisingly, considering its power, the venom’s properties are also being researched for possible use in creating organic pesticides.

That’s exactly what happened according to reporter, Mary Ellen Godin from the Record-Journal, and flea bites in Wyoming may be at the bottom of it.

The man returned from a trip to Wyoming and entered the hospital with symptoms that were very similar to mumps such as “a large swelling on the left side of his neck in the lymph node and parotid gland, according to a report in the Jackson Hole Daily.” In addition, to putting the man on antibiotics, doctors took appropriate precautions with the staff in that the mumps are contagious.

Just before they were to release the man from the hospital as his condition had improved significantly, the test came back with the bubonic plaque result.

As it turns out, Dr. Robert Levitz, who specializes in infectious diseases, says that there are actually a few cases each year in the Soutwestern and Western United States and that rodents such as prairie dogs are believed to carry the disease. Flea bites usually transmit the disease to humans.

For the man who had spent a week in the Tetons of Wyoming and returned with the infection, after receiving the antibiotic Cipro, he made a full recovery according to the article. The bubonic plague doesn’t appear to have the impact it once did.

A group of emergency medical personnel from Somerset County, Pennsylvania, found out the hard way that chiggers and fire ants are “friendly” when they went to down to the Gulf Coast to help out with relief operations near Alexandria, Louisiana.

According to the Daily American, when the group arrived after a 27-hour car trip, their accomodations weren’t quite ready so they went to Wal-Mart and bought camping equipment including a tent.

After a night in the tent, the chiggers and fire ants bites were enough to let them know they were welcome.

Nevertheless, the EMTs persevered.

First, they waited out the hurricane passing over them in a shelter with other evacuees.

Then, they traveled within the Louisiana community and began their work - helping whomever need assistance from the damage caused by Hurricane Gustav.

All in all, it sounds like the most challenging part of the trip for this group of heroes was the insect bites.

Yet, that’s exactly what happened to Canadian Television’s sports director, Shawn Churchill, who was stung on the back of the head just prior to kickoff of a football game this past weekend according to the Winnipeg Sun.

Fortunately, football players on the sideline noticed that the reporter was starting to struggle with his breathing and ran to get team doctors.

It was the first time Churchill had been stung by a wasp and he didn’t think any thing of it, at first. He told the Sun:

“I felt something bite me on the back of the head, but just thought it was one of the players flicking me… A few minutes later, when I started talking on air, everything tightened up in my throat and I struggled to breathe.”

Churchill advises anyone in the same situation with a wasp sting allergy to not panic and seek medical attention as soon as possible.

This week, Churchill has started carrying with him an EpiPen which administers Epinepherine in case of an allergic reaction due to the allergy.

Dr. Ricardo Lobato de Faria, director of emergency services at the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, told the Winnipeg Sun that in spite of the seriousness of the wasp sting on Churchill, anaphylactic shock - a life-threatening condition - is rare for a first-time bite. But, he said that if a person continues to get stung, it’s possible for the threat for a serious reaction to go up.

A local exterminator, Lincoln Poulin (pictured with an enormous wasp nest), said that there are a lot more wasps this time of year. For homeowners, he recommended that anyone barbecuing outside - a magnet for wasps - should consider using wasp traps that are 5 to 6 feet away. He also advised that cream soda or old cooked chicken can be a deterrent due to the high odor and sugar content.

It is the third school building in the area to have been found containing the brown recluse spider and has left local officials, parents and students wondering what they can do to prevent coming in contact with the spider.

Sticky traps left by the Terminix workers at a local elementary school successfully caught the spiders during routine pest management visits last July.

The Illinois Department of Health points out that among the 3,700 species of spiders, there are only about a dozen that can have serious medical consequences. Of the 12 species, they either belong to the brown spiders (Loxosceles) group or the widow spiders (Latrodectus) group.

Also, according to health department officials, most bites heal within three weeks. Only a small number of people have severe reactions to bites or stings. Nonetheless, poisonous spiders are a concern in school buildings.

In a September 9 press release, officials concern over the illness transmitted through mosquito bites to humans is most acute forthe elderly and “persons with compromised immune systems” who should not go outside during peak mosquito activity times such as the early morning or evening.

Secretary of Health Dr. Calvin B. Johnson said:

“The Department of Health remains concerned about the risk of West Nile virus for Pennsylvania residents, particularly people in southeastern PA. The recent spraying in the Philadelphia area was a necessary measure to reduce the threat of human illness from West Nile virus and is likely to have prevented additional cases.”

Two possible manifestations of West Nile Virus are possible according to the Department of Health. First, the disease can cause what is known as West Nile Fever which can mean a headache, body aches, skin rash, and swollen lymph glands accompanied by the fever. The second and more serious version is West Nile encephalitis which brings an inflammation of the brain.

Encephalitis symptoms can include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, disorientation, a decreased level of alertness, tremors, seizures, paralysis, and coma according to officials.

It is recommended that anyone experiencing the onset of these symptoms should contact a medical care provider as soon as possible.

Similar to recommendations by officials and experts in other states, Pennsylvania officials recommend the use of DEET if you anticipate being outdoors in areas where mosquito bites are possible.

It is hoped that by understanding where all the infected animals are that Bluetongue - fatal to animals such as cattle and sheep - can be contained.

Using light traps, the microscopic midges are capture and each species is identified. With the identification, officials hope to find patterns that can help fight bluetongue.

Meanwhile, with 21.5 million doses of vaccine made available to farmers by the government, according to the Telegraph, farmers have fought hard to prevent the spread of bluetongue.

The two-winged fly, Ceratopogonidae version of the midge is known as a “biting midge” and believed to spread Blue Tongue according to Wikipedia.

The World Health Organization says “dengue is transmitted by the bite of an Aedes mosquito infected with any one of the four dengue viruses.”

With symptoms ranging from mild to high fever, there are no cures if you are infected according to the WHO (though they recommend hydration) and one of the worst afflictions associated with dengue - dengue haemorrhagic fever - can be fatal. Care by trained medical personnel in a hospital is recommended for those afflicted by mosquito bites containing the disease.

Back in Delhi, India, IBNLive says that the number of cases this year from the mosquito-born illness is 348 with two deaths.

Like many solutions offered by health care professionals and local officials, recommends that people sleep with long sleeve shirts, eliminate any pools of standing water where mosquitoes like to breed and, if eliminating water is impossible, IIMS Professor Bir Singh suggests spraying kerosene, diesel or black oil on the area which acts a mosquito repellent.

Obviously, the chemicals and fuels present other issues such as the danger of fire.

Robert Parker from the Virginia Department of Healthtold WSET in Viriginia, “There’s a misconception about it. The welts themselves are not places where eggs have been laid.” In fact, in Missouri, the local department of Conservation outlines the true cause - the saliva of the chigger contains a powerful enzyme which begins the process of the itch that chigger bites sufferers have to endure.

Back in Virginia, in another department of state government - Forestry, Chris Thomsen tells WSET that he has already been bitten by chiggers and has forced him to take special precautions when working in the field. Prior to each expedition, Thomsen makes sure he completely sprays down his body to prevent chigger bites around the belt line, ankles, armpits and other sensitive areas.

In spite of his efforts, Thomsen works in high grass areas and often bites from the microscopic insect can not be avoided.

Chiggers are part of the mites family of bugs that seems to be renowned for making people itchy.

The Argus reports that a UK child who had returned from a trip to Cyprus with her family and unknowingly had a tarantula spider stowaway who made the child’s boot into her home (the spider was a female European tarantula).

The dark cavern of the shoe evidently provided a cozy spot and when the unsuspecting child decided to wear her boots again - ouch!

The tarantula spider bite was evidently not fatal or serious and, fearing more spider bites from the arachnid offender, the child’s mom immediately leapt into action and trapped the tarantula in the boot until animal control officers could arrive.

But, when the officer arrived, out came the spider at full speed! Managing to hide behind the refrigerator for a short while, the spider was eventually captured and now officials are looking to have it “re-homed”.

Hopefully it won’t be in anyone else’s shoe.

The torrential rains which accompany hurricanes present challenges to local officials who have to cope with the rising waters and its effects. According to the Voice in Florida, the town of Geneva has been inundated with water and affected Lake Harney.

Unfortunately, rising waters can create opportunities for increased insect bites as insects look for higher ground on which to survive and naturally move towards human populations.

For an elderly, Chuluota man, this was catastrophic as red ants swarmed into his home looking for dry earth. The red ant bites the man endured proved to be fatal and now many in the area are concerned about insect bites from numerous areas of standing water.

The Voice reports that mosquitoes are now thriving and county officials have moved ahead with plans to spray with larvae-killing chemicals in an attempt to prevent an outbreak of mosquito bites. Affected areas for insect prevention measures range from Oviedo to the shores of Lake Jesup.

With Hanna having headed north of Florida, area residents can be thankful that there will be no more heavy rain to encourage mosquito population growth and further infestation in the near future - unless Hurricane Ike enters the picture.

Hank Drexler and Audrey Ivanauskas sent a letter to the city of Saskatoon regarding the backyard apiary. Though honeybees are not considered aggressive, honey bees can still deliver a sting - at the cost of their life. When a honeybee stings, it dies. The bee sting is cited as a potential threat in the letter especially to those who might have a bee sting allergy.

The beekeepers claim that this is the first time they have ever heard anyone complain and other neighbors in the area say that they do not find the bees annoying nor has there been any reported bee stings as a result of the area beehive. Incidentally, not all bees are created equal. According to Wikipedia, there are over 20,000 species of bees and honey bees represent a tiny fraction.

As for local laws, the province’s apiculturist (overseer for the management and care of bees for business purposes) requires that the bee operation register with the province. But, there is no city law that prevents beekeeping. Geoff McLeod, pest management supervisor with the City of Saskatoon told the StarRegister, “We only found out recently about these backyard apiaries. We don’t know a lot about them.”

It’s now in the hands of the local city council to decide if a beekeeping law is necessary for the city limits.

It was not just any insect or bird, but a two inch black wasp with big antennae which his wife researched and found to be the tarantula hawk wasp. According to Wikipedia, its sting is one of the most painful in the world.

As one might guess, the wasp’s victims are female tarantulas which are plentiful in certain areas of California. Gruesomely, the wasp doesn’t kill the tarantula but paralyzes it with its wasp sting.

Then, the wasp inserts and egg inside the abdomen of the furry spider and then seals it up. Once the egg hatches, the young wasp eats its way out and the tarantula dies.

The good news is that the tarantula hawk wasp’s sting is not deadly or poisonous for humans - just don’t pet one if you see it land in the trees.

Incidentally, the tarantula hawk wasp is the state insect of New Mexico according to Wikipedia.

Local station WJXT reports that the family of four has already thrown out of their apartment the two twin mattresses formerly used by the children and the queen-sized mattress and box spring for the adults in hopes of ridding themselves of the bloodsucking, bed bugs infestation.

They now sleep on a plastic toddler bed and inflatable mattress, respectively.

And now, the Byrds are leaving their apartment. As often is the case, the apartment manager disputes the bed bugs infestation by saying that the family brought the bed bugs with them. Consequently, the landlord’s refusing to return the $1,000 deposit as the family is breaking their lease.

With little sleep and ongoing psychological anxiety, the Byrds look forward to moving away from the bed bug bites and the infestation.

They are also experiencing another common bed bug effect: shame. The Byrd’s daughters haven’t told any friends about the bedbugs at home, and one daughter says, “I’m too scared to [tell her friends]. I think they’ll think I’m disgusting.”

We wish the Byrd’s a much happier life at their next apartment.

Not considered dangerous to humans, the Afghan Spider can be deadly to small animals. The spider is believed to have been a “stowaway” in the baggage of the male head of household after his tour of duty in Afghanistan.

The family is refusing to move back into the home until the spider is found and destroyed due to fears of another spider bite.

The dog and spider evidently had an encounter just prior to the dog’s demise that involved the spider “hissing” at the dog. That’s right.. “hissing.” These are not your normal poisonous spiders.

“The desert-dwelling camel spider, actually an insect rather than an arachnid, can run up to 25 kilometers (15 miles) an hour and reach 15 centimeters (6 inches) in length. Its bite is not deadly to humans but can kill small animals.”

If you want to, check out this video of an alleged Afghan camel spider attacking a lizard - not for the faint of heart:

In the Gloucester Daily Times, a local mom, Jennifer Strangman, says that she recently saw a mysterious-looking mosquito bite on her child in July. Rather than the usual bump, it looked like a red bullseye and her child had a low temperature. She immediately took her child to the doctor for succesful treatment of what was the first of two mosquito-related infections. It’s not clear if the bite caused the infections or if it was the break in the skin and bacteria entering through the opening.

Nevertheless, she doesn’t hesitate to take any of her children to the doctor considering the possibility of serious infection from West Nile Virus (WNV) or Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) brought on by mosquito bites.

In nearby Danvers, the Massachusetts State Department of Health reports that a pool of mosquitoes has tested positive last month for West Nile and that the threat of the potentially deadly virus should be considered statewide. Yesterday’s press release reveals crows and mosquitos testing positive for WNV and EEE all over the state:

WNV was found in crows from Haverhill, Southampton, and Winchester and in blue jays from Lexington and Lynn. Multiple mosquito samples have tested positive for WNV from Attleboro, Boston, Brookline, Canton, Danvers, Easton, Lexington, Quincy, Seekonk, Somerville, Stoughton, Waltham and Whitman.

The Department of Health makes several recommendations on how to avoid mosquito bites including:

• Consider curtailing outdoor activities in the evening and morning when mosquitoes are prone to biting.
• Wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks can keep out the mosquitoes.
• Apply DEET insect repellent if you’re going to be outdoors:
  

  Use a repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-methane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] or IR3535 according to the instructions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30% or less on older children. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age.

• Draining standing water from areas around your home can keep mosquitos from breeding.
• Finally, install screens on your home’s windows or make repairs to existing screens on your home.

The MyBugBites.com staff is seeing more and more stories about chiggers, their bites and their excruciating itch.

In South Carolina, Bryce Donovan of the Post and Courier details his encounters with chiggers and says that if you haven’t experienced chiggers, well, he hates you… because he wish he’d never experienced them either.

Chiggers are actually very tiny creatures even if they look huge and scary in this magnified pictured and measure 1/150th of an inch in diameter in real life - nearly invisible. Also, chiggers aren’t bugs or insects in the strict sense of the words all - they’re mites according to MDConline.com.

“Chiggers are the juvenile (or larval) form of a specific family of mites, the Trombiculidae. Mites are arachnids, like spider and scorpions, and are closely related to ticks.”

Ironically, chiggers are only a problem for humans in their childhood - known as the larval stage, when they like to bite our skin and inject a bit of their saliva which causes a chain reaction of events leading to an annoying itch.

MDC makes the following recommendations to avoid the mite-y itch of the chigger:

• A warm, soapy bath of water will remove the little devils.
• Use a towel or cloth to wipe your body clean of chiggers. Chiggers don’t stand up well to the lightest brushing.
• Do not use any strange chemicals like rubbing alcohol or gasoline or salt or dry cleaning fluid. Not only are they not necessary (use a warm bath!), they’re potentially dangerous.

So what if you do get bitten by chiggers.. then what?

• Certain lotions can help.
• Anesthetic products like enzocaine, camphor-phenol and ammonium hydroxide can provide some relief when applied to the affected area according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.

In rare cases, people can have allergic reaction and should see a doctor about what medicine will be best to overcome the symptoms.

Hopefully, this information is useful to our readers - it comes too late for Mr. Donovan whose waistline “burned like a forest fire.” Yikes.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania community members are taking a proactive step in protecting the area’s children by offering a seminar on bee sting and food allergies.

Local newspaper Erie Times News reports on local children who make a good case study on why being vigilant about what kids are allergic to is important.

Alex Blatt, 11, has an allergy to peanuts and always carries an EpiPen with him to prevent any extreme reactions if a peanut or its extract finds its way into his system. An untreated allergic reaction can result in him going into anaphylactic shock, a potentially fatal condition.

Bee stings can also be something that causes an allergic reaction.

In the article, it is recommended that the following precautions be taken as children start the school year as it relates to food allergies - normally we concentrate on insect bite-related news here on MyBugBites.com, but we thought this would be good for all to consider:

Inform the school cafeteria, teachers and other staff of what foods to avoid, and suggest safe alternatives.

Send safe snacks when the class is having a party.

Implement a “no eating” policy for your child when he or she is riding the bus or in other settings where kids aren’t supervised.

Ask for child’s allergist to complete a food allergy action plan to give to school officials. A plan can be found at www.aaaai.org.

Humans are being infected from mosquitoes carrying the disease

A 20-year-old man in the San Diego area has been diagnosed with the virus according to the San Diego Union Tribune. The man had been suffering from meningitis and is now recovering at home. This is the 10th case of West Nile Virus in the local county this year. (15 people contracted the virus in 2007.) Over 78 cases have been reported in the state of California with virus samples testing positive at record levels.

Susanne Kluh, scientific and technical services director for the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District, told Xinhua News that there are likely many more cases than are being reported:

Roughly 80 percent of West Nile virus human infection cases show no symptoms of the disease, while about 20 percent show mild symptoms that may include fever, headache, body aches, nausea and vomiting — things that are sometimes chalked up as a simple “summer fever,” Kluh said.

With no known treatment, the Centers for Disease Control recommends hospitalization when necessary so nursing care, intravenous fluids and maintenance of any secondary infections can be applied. Several trials are currently underway for a West Nile Virus (WNV) cure, but no publicly-available “magic pill” is ready to go to market.

In neighboring Nevada, the first reported cases has appeared in Reno, and in Texas, The Dallas Morning News is reporting that an East Dallas resident has now joined the “club” of West Nile Virus infected persons. Local governments have stepped up their spraying for mosquitoes which typically carry the virus from animals and birds to humans through a mosquito bite.

In Stamford, Connecticut, news station WNLK is saying that a local man has become the first to contract the virus.

A local endomologist was not surprised.

“We’ve seen repeated cases of West Nile Virus-infected mosquitos in Stamford since trapping began this season,” says Dr. Andreadis. “We continue to see more too. Stamford has the distinction of having the most West Nile Virus activity anywhere in the state right now.”

Dr. Andreadis said that he expected more West Nile Virus cases to be reported in the next few weeks.

For nearly a year, Fox News in New York City has been under attack from, of all things, bed bugs.

“Fair and balanced” is now, “fair, balanced and infested.”

Apparently, a bed bug infestation at an employee’s home allowed a few of the blood sucking bed bugs to attach themselves to their unknowing host and then spread the bed bug problem throughout the office.

How bad is it? It’s so bad employees have begun to sue Fox News for the bites they have suffered and the mental anguish.

At this point, there is discussion about who the Fox employee might be with the infestation. More than 20 employee homes were visited before the offending home was identified. For some in the media, bedbugs at Fox News will be a “fun” topic. But, for those affected, not so much.

What can you do to help prevent bed bug bites?

In a situation like the office, it’s hard but opening immediate communication with your boss regarding bed bug infestation concerns is a starter. If they’re not sympathetic, they will be when they get bitten or bring it home to their families because they did not act on an employees justified request.

Further suggestions would include taking any clothing used at the office and washing it thoroughly when you get home - or, put it in a sealed plastic bag temporarily. Of course, those little bed bugs can bite, so it seems possible they would go right through the bag.

As least, we don’t work at Fox News. Bed bugs can be a nightmare and having them at the office AND home seems like the worst of all possible scenarios.

At an inch and a half long, cicada killer wasps are frightening to see, but are they really harmful to humans?

An article in the Galveston County Daily News says that even though it may seem cicada killer wasps would have a powerful sting and are to be feared, in fact, they are beneficial to humans by controlling the population of cicadas which are the food required by young wasps.

Dr. William Johnson states that the male wasp actually has no ability to sting and the female wasp has rarely been known to use its powerful stinger on humans. The only reason it may sting is to kill cicadas so that its young can feast.

Cicadas are not only noisy but can do small amounts of damage to a tree on which they lay their eggs. The cicada killer wasp lives in these areas, too - better to be closer to the food.

“Unlike hornets, yellow jackets and paper wasps, which are social insects living in large colonies, cicada killers are considered solitary wasps. However, several individuals are often found within a small area, giving the impression that there is a single nest.”

The female wasp ends up having to do the dirty work and dig the nest. With a nest which can be as large as 10 inches by 1/2 inch wide, a mound of dirt typically appears. Inside the nest are chambers in which the young are hatched.

All in all, the cicada killer wasp is not to be feared, and should be thought of as a beneficial part of the local ecosystem - even if it’s scary looking!

In Manitoba, Canada, the Globe and Daily Mail reports that a local woman is the victim of a rare spider bite from a hobo spider.

The hobo spider is generally thought to have reached North America in the early 20th Century via steam ships and is believed to live in the grass.

What makes this spider bite particularly unusual is two-fold.

First, the spider is not known to be a native spider in Manitoba but does reside in certain areas of Western Canada. Nothing like an unwelcome resident!

Second, the spider’s venom is particularly gruesome and once the venom enters, it instantly kills the tissue in and around the spider bite - creating black, dead skin - in this case a hole in the woman’s leg.

The hole created in the leg from the bite was so bad for this poor woman that she had to have all of the tissue near the hobo spider’s bite removed. A skin graft was not possible. Dr. Neil Simonsen, an infectious-disease and wound-care specialist, cleaned and sterilized the wound so that it could heal naturally.

An entomologist said that without catching the offending hobo spider, it is impossible to confirm if, in fact, it was the venomous spider.

Brooklyn, New York, is yet another hot bed for bed bugs (no pun intended). According to the local paper, Brooklyn Daily Eagle, since 2004, complaints about bed bug infestations have increased over 1900 percent.

No explanation is given other than the bed bugs continue to be a problem globally, not just in certain locales. If mattresses discarded on the sidewalk is any indication, Brooklynites have a mighty big bug bite problem on their hands.

Richard Cooper, a purported bed bug experts and co-author of “The Bed Bug Handbook: The Complete Guide to Bed Bugs and Their Control” says that something needs to be done at the federal level if the bed bug bite problem is ever going to be brought under control. The Orkin man isn’t going to cut it.

In addressing the global problem of bed bugs and how it’s affected the U.S., Cooper offers, “More bed bugs were introduced more frequently, allowing bedbugs to become more established in the U.S.” Cooper suggests that perhaps bed bugs are becoming more resistant to chemical, bug extermination efforts, but no one knows for sure.

Cooper expresses concern that if something isn’t done at the governmental level soon, lower income and senior populations are likely to experience increased infestations which will only make it worse for everyone else.