NationStates Jolt Archive

It's raining here in Southern California, and that means animals are coming indoors to keep warm. For me, this usually means earwigs and pillbugs and common house spiders like harvestmen and browns and such, but today it meant being bitten by a female Black Widow spider. My habit of trying to identify crawling things that hitch rides on my arms or legs, rather than swatting them and reconstructing what they might've been after the fact, earned me a nice little red welt/rash from a legendary type of spider, which apparently is active not just in summer, but in winter as well.

The Widow spider is in every back yard in California, usually thousands of times over, but it's not easy getting bit by one, which meant that my childhood curiosity over how painful the bite would be or whether it would kill me, as many other kids liked to claim, was unlikely ever to be satisfied. But, against the odds, it has! Neat! :D

Predictably, the schoolyard stories of instant, excruciating death were far from true. A little pain, a little rash, and a bit of Cortizone were the only results. The whole thing awoke an old curiosity, though, so I thought I'd ask the question:

What kinds of crazy things have you been bitten by? What were the effects? What kinds of wild stories did you hear about dangerous bugs as a kid? Was there any truth to them, or were they just talk?

A moose once bit my sister...

A moose once bit my sister...

Was it serious? I've only seen moose as roadkill, but they're huge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona_bark_scorpion

Got into bed with one of these once.......accidental of course. Got stung, leg cramps and pain. Still have a scar.

I always heard that those tiny red spiders were poisonous. I had many of them as pets, never bitten. Oh and also the rumour that yellow/orange ladybugs were poisonous was going around the school yard when I was young.

Was it serious? I've only seen moose as roadkill, but they're huge.

No realli! She was Karving her initials on the møøse with the sharpened end of an interspace tøøthbrush given her by Svenge - her brother-in-law - an Oslo dentist and star of many Norwegian møvies: "The Høt Hands of an Oslo Dentist", "Fillings of Passion", "The Huge Mølars of Horst Nordfink".

We apologise for the fault in the subtitles. Those responsible have been sacked.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona_bark_scorpion

Got into bed with one of these once.......accidental of course. Got stung, leg cramps and pain. Still have a scar.

Ah, that sucks. I thought I saw some of those in Scottsdale when I was there on vacation, but they're not supposed to be active in the daytime, so I assumed they were something else.

Don't know if this counts but my brother got stung several times on his balls by a wasp.

i assume you had medical attention

Many years ago I was visiting a sister in the central coast area of NSW. We were strolling along the beach when I noticed a jellyfish in the water. Being an ignorant Victoria (where jellyfish are rarely a problem) I waded out in the shallow water to have a closer look. While I was still about 3 metres from the bell, it suddenly felt as if someone had set my ankle alight. I must have jumped about a metre in the air.

The pain eventually subsided but I was left with a neat ring of puncture marks circling my leg at ankle level. The marks went away after a few weeks.

I always heard that those tiny red spiders were poisonous. I had many of them as pets, never bitten. Oh and also the rumour that yellow/orange ladybugs were poisonous was going around the school yard when I was young.

That's the kind of stuff I was thinking of. Too funny. :D The one about the ladybugs reminds me of stories we used to tell about Jerusalem Crickets. Those things are absolutely massive, and look evil, but are completely harmless. It didn't stop us from claiming you'd have to have your arm or leg amputated if you were bit, though.

Don't know if this counts but my brother got stung several times on his balls by a wasp.
Had that on the arse once on a camping trip. As a kid, there i were, jumping up and down and stomping on my underwear naked because the little fucker was still in there (i had switched from my swim trunks to my underwear behind a tree and had my undies on a stump)
People watching and laughing, pointing. Ah, good times.

Also got bit on the wrist ... not exactly "bit" so much as "intensely sucked on" by a very small fly. "Bite" itched for about 2 weeks, on off, nice permanent red mark.
Got a spider bite on my cheek once, too, after being proud of not having any significant acne on my face for about 4 days prior.
I think i've been bit a few times but i don't remember most of them.

Ah, that sucks. I thought I saw some of those in Scottsdale when I was there on vacation, but they're not supposed to be active in the daytime, so I assumed they were something else.

There are another kind that look very similar except a bit more translucent that are around there too. I got stung my first night in Tucson I didn't know to check my bed. :$

Also, while in Tucson there was a saguaro cactus in our back yard full of tarantulas but we weren't allowed to do anything to get rid of them.

Ergh, just sandflies. However, weta (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RF868pCjrI) would be terrifying to meet at any place, and huhu bugs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHEZwrUv6jo) freak the hell out of me too.

There are another kind that look very similar except a bit more translucent that are around there too. I got stung my first night in Tucson I didn't know to check my bed. :$

Also, while in Tucson there was a saguaro cactus in our back yard full of tarantulas but we weren't allowed to do anything to get rid of them.

Aha, that probably explains it. We went to a Native American/Desert museum our first or second day in town, where they had all the local insects on display. That's the only reason I thought I could ID the scorpion in the first place, and although it was similar, it probably wasn't the same. I didn't want to meet any of them close-up, that's for sure.

An Argentine ant bit me on the tongue once, I still have no idea how I managed that. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentine_ant)
I was also bitten by what I surmise to be a sac spider. It was painful for about 24 hours after which, I no longer noticed it.

No one who knows what they're talking about ever says a black widow spider can kill an adult person, but they can potentially kill small children.

And I've been stung by a desert scorpion, and bit by a tortoise.

Had that on the arse once on a camping trip. As a kid, there i were, jumping up and down and stomping on my underwear naked because the little fucker was still in there (i had switched from my swim trunks to my underwear behind a tree and had my undies on a stump)
People watching and laughing, pointing. Ah, good times.

*points and laughs*

*points and laughs*I remember you, you coulrophile. You've etched yourself into my subconscious nicely from those days, and every past and current lover most certainly thanks you for it.

I remember you, you coulrophile. You've etched yourself into my subconscious nicely from those days, and every past and current lover most certainly thanks you for it.

:cool:

I once was bitten by a turtle O_O

Ah the joys of coming from a dangerous-pest-free land :D

Ah the joys of coming from a dangerous-pest-free land :DEngland?
I beg to differ.
And you're here a lot, to boot.

England?
I beg to differ.
You would, wouldn't you -_-

What dangerous pests do we have then?

Ah the joys of coming from a dangerous-pest-free land :D

Tell me about it...

I think was stung by a bee...once. :p

You would, wouldn't you -_-I'm not above it, no.

What dangerous pests do we have then?Rephrase the question.
Better yet, ask yourself whom the sun sets upon.
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=14491404&postcount=47

Thought I had bedbugs a while back when I started waking up with odd bites on my hands and wrists. Turns out they were just spider bites, though.

You ever been covered in Ticks before?

When youve had that pleasant experience before, talk to me...

Had to cut those buggers out with a knife....

It's raining here in Southern California, and that means animals are coming indoors to keep warm. For me, this usually means earwigs and pillbugs and common house spiders like harvestmen and browns and such, but today it meant being bitten by a female Black Widow spider. My habit of trying to identify crawling things that hitch rides on my arms or legs, rather than swatting them and reconstructing what they might've been after the fact, earned me a nice little red welt/rash from a legendary type of spider, which apparently is active not just in summer, but in winter as well.

The Widow spider is in every back yard in California, usually thousands of times over, but it's not easy getting bit by one, which meant that my childhood curiosity over how painful the bite would be or whether it would kill me, as many other kids liked to claim, was unlikely ever to be satisfied. But, against the odds, it has! Neat! :D

Predictably, the schoolyard stories of instant, excruciating death were far from true. A little pain, a little rash, and a bit of Cortizone were the only results. The whole thing awoke an old curiosity, though, so I thought I'd ask the question:

What kinds of crazy things have you been bitten by? What were the effects? What kinds of wild stories did you hear about dangerous bugs as a kid? Was there any truth to them, or were they just talk?

I'd hate your house......


But, on topic, lets see:


Around 3-7 wasps when I was around 6-10, can't remember what exact age

My cousin when she was two

I'd hate your house......


But, on topic, lets see:


Around 3-7 wasps when I was around 6-10, can't remember what exact age

My cousin when she was two

Oh, yeah. Thanks for reminding me ... not. A few years ago, before I had a dryer, I was hanging my underwear out to dry, black bikinis at the time (before I got old) and a wasp took up residence in them. The warmth made him go dormant and I folded and put them away without noticing the critter.
When I put them on, he came to life and stung me on my right "cheek." My kids thought it was hysterically funny.

Oh, yeah. Thanks for reminding me ... not. A few years ago, before I had a dryer, I was hanging my underwear out to dry, black bikinis at the time (before I got old) and a wasp took up residence in them. The warmth made him go dormant and I folded and put them away without noticing the critter.
When I put them on, he came to life and stung me on my right "cheek." My kids thought it was hysterically funny.

Im sure it wasnt..........but i cant stop laughing, lol...

A fox . . . .teach me to work at the humane society

I hope you all have your superhero names ready in case any of these were radioactive. I do like the idea of a superhero being created after being bitten by a radioactive moose.

I do like the idea of a superhero being created after being bitten by a radioactive moose.

http://agelessbodytimelessmom.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/bullwinkle.jpg


Ask and ye shall receive, lol...

http://agelessbodytimelessmom.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/bullwinkle.jpg


Ask and ye shall receive, lol...

Looks more like a moose bitten by a radioactive sister.

Ants,wasps,bees,bumblebees,cats,dogs,snakes,pigs,cows,horses,spiders,rabbits,ticks and humans.

The worst of them was when I got 4 marks of my left foot in a perfect square.
either 4 wasps,2 wasps and one snake or 2 snakes.

Oh, and the time I rolled around in a field of stinging nettles with only my briefs on..

I laid down on a hill of fire ants once, when I was in Louisiana. That sucked.

Oddly enough, though I've seen all sorts of poisonous critters, living in Oz, the only thing that's ever bitten me is the introduced honeybee.

I got two of my fingers amputated by an angry mule.

I've been bitten by a pelican and a kangaroo. And the midgies and mosquitos and god only knows what in charleville. I think I got bit by a fish swimming in the Ward river today. I don't know because you can't actually see what you are swimming in. Its just mud.

Drunken co-worker.

That was back in December... still have the marks...

Also, the usual swag of Australian Jellyfish, mud crabs, Spiders, creepy-crawlies and flying things.

Drunken co-worker.

That was back in December... still have the marks...

Also, the usual swag of Australian Jellyfish, mud crabs, Spiders, creepy-crawlies and flying things.

swag? I actually have to buy one of those and finally found out what it was. I felt so un-Australian having to ask.

Tell me about it...

I think was stung by a bee...once. :p

Speak for yourselves,

I got bitten by a....DUCK!!

Fowl Fiend.

Many years ago I was visiting a sister in the central coast area of NSW. We were strolling along the beach when I noticed a jellyfish in the water. Being an ignorant Victoria (where jellyfish are rarely a problem) I waded out in the shallow water to have a closer look. While I was still about 3 metres from the bell, it suddenly felt as if someone had set my ankle alight. I must have jumped about a metre in the air.

The pain eventually subsided but I was left with a neat ring of puncture marks circling my leg at ankle level. The marks went away after a few weeks.

You are an ignorant state?

Good thing it wasn't a blue bottle jellyfish.

Am I thinking of the right name? Have I lived away from the state for that long?

Also, the usual swag of Australian Jellyfish, mud crabs, Spiders, creepy-crawlies and flying things.

Been there, done that, got the...medical records.

I am yet to be bitten by a snake however, or a really dangerous spider like a funnel web.

It's raining here in Southern California, and that means animals are coming indoors to keep warm. For me, this usually means earwigs and pillbugs and common house spiders like harvestmen and browns and such, but today it meant being bitten by a female Black Widow spider. My habit of trying to identify crawling things that hitch rides on my arms or legs, rather than swatting them and reconstructing what they might've been after the fact, earned me a nice little red welt/rash from a legendary type of spider, which apparently is active not just in summer, but in winter as well.

The Widow spider is in every back yard in California, usually thousands of times over, but it's not easy getting bit by one, which meant that my childhood curiosity over how painful the bite would be or whether it would kill me, as many other kids liked to claim, was unlikely ever to be satisfied. But, against the odds, it has! Neat! :D

Predictably, the schoolyard stories of instant, excruciating death were far from true. A little pain, a little rash, and a bit of Cortizone were the only results. The whole thing awoke an old curiosity, though, so I thought I'd ask the question:

What kinds of crazy things have you been bitten by? What were the effects? What kinds of wild stories did you hear about dangerous bugs as a kid? Was there any truth to them, or were they just talk?

Black Widow bites can still be a bitch -- you might have gotten a low-venom bite. It might have just eaten defended itself earlier.

The nastiest spider we have here is the Brown Recluse. It likes to come indoors during the winter, and while I've never been bitten, I've seen bites, and the resulting necrosis can leave appreciable dents in your skin.

You would, wouldn't you -_-

What dangerous pests do we have then?

The English? :p

You are an ignorant state?

Good thing it wasn't a blue bottle jellyfish.

Am I thinking of the right name? Have I lived away from the state for that long?

I always thought the king of sting in jellyfish was the box jelly. Serves me right for watching one of those stupid Animal Planet countdown shows.

I always thought the king of sting in jellyfish was the box jelly. Serves me right for watching one of those stupid Animal Planet countdown shows.

It could very well be, and they too are in Australian waters, however, they are in the northern waters and she was in New South Wales where the Blue bottle jellyfish are washed ashore in large numbers (don't even walk on the sand in those days) and Box jellyfish aren't found in NSW waters (I think).

yeah, Box Jellyfish are the real bastards - you shouldn't have too much trouble with them anywhere south of Fraser though. Irukandji are more dangerous, but apparently not as painful.

Blue bottles have a bad rep because they are always in swarm proportions, and they give you a nasty sting.

I am lucky, I haven't been stung by any jellyfish other than a few blubbers in while. However, when you are out on a board, feel something solid under 1 hand, you look down and realise you have just paddled over the top of a swarm of them that are 30cm across the bell, you learn how to paddle very quickly using only your finger tips.

They do make for fun times though... jellyfish fight anyone?

I was out scrumping in my youth and waded into this thick blackberry bush to get the biggest, juiceist ones, when I heard a loud crack, I looked down and saw that I had indeedsteped right through a wasps nest.

Bloody hell, I had the buggers everywhere, all up my leg, in my hair, inside my top. Didn't like that at all, got stung to buggery.

yeah, Box Jellyfish are the real bastards - you shouldn't have too much trouble with them anywhere south of Fraser though. Irukandji are more dangerous, but apparently not as painful.

Blue bottles have a bad rep because they are always in swarm proportions, and they give you a nasty sting.

I am lucky, I haven't been stung by any jellyfish other than a few blubbers in while. However, when you are out on a board, feel something solid under 1 hand, you look down and realise you have just paddled over the top of a swarm of them that are 30cm across the bell, you learn how to paddle very quickly using only your finger tips.

They do make for fun times though... jellyfish fight anyone?

Yeah fortunately I have never had to deal with Box Jellyfish, and I am glad none where around me when I was up at Townsville.

As for blue bottles, I suppose haven grown up in NSW you hear more about your local dangers in the sea amongst all the other deadly sea creatures on the coastline. When you think about it Australia is a dangerous place to live, with animals on land and sea able to easily kill you.

Lapse: I am off to the Gold Coast in about a week and a half, and I am bound to go swimming in the ocean (can't wait to be able to swim in some decent waves again). Is there anything I should look out for apart from the usual dangers?

As for a jellyfish fight, the only one I have had is when me and a friend found a dead one washed ashore at the mouth of some river and we threw it each other to freak each other out.

I live on the beach in wonderful, sunny Florida. In wonderful sunny Florida we have a plethora of exciting and wonderful fauna which inhabit our landscape, including alligators, mosquitos, sharks, jellyfish, stingrays, and Brown Recluse Spiders. Never been bit by an alligator (Though I have been chased by one...) or a shark, but I do have stories for all the others.

When I was eight I was swimming with my Dad when suddenly I notice his eyes go wide. He shouts for me to swim back in for shore, but I didn't hear him. A wave pushed his surfboard back to shore, and I was left in the water surrounded by a rather large school of stingrays. Not exactly sure how many times I got stung, but that was...fun.

Not too long after a similar event occurred, except with jellyfish. ha...believe it or not, despite there being easily a thousand surrounding me, I did manage to get back to shore without being stung...until a wave pushed my boogie board in and knocked me over right ontop of one beached in the sand...

ahhh the Brown Recluse. That was fun! So I'm about fifteen, sitting in my room, when suddenly I became acutely aware of a tingling sensation on my leg. I look to the location and see a little spider the size of a dime on my leg beside the knee cap. It walked up to my thigh, and before I could swat it away, it sank its itty bitty fangs into my skin. It hurt like a BITCH, but not initially. Actually there was, ironically, no pain at first. In fact, I didn't even realize it had bit me. The pain actually came later, probably two hours or so, which was odd but my Doctor told me completely normal for the event. Anyhow, I was given some anti-biotcs and sent on my way. It did leave a massive welt-ish pimple thing on my leg, around which was a ring of reddish skin which seemed to grow every day until it was the size of a small dinner plate, but it did go away after a week...good times...:D

Gotta love Florida!

number of things, but i once saw someone get biten by a camel

Lapse: I am off to the Gold Coast in about a week and a half, and I am bound to go swimming in the ocean (can't wait to be able to swim in some decent waves again). Is there anything I should look out for apart from the usual dangers?

me - I'm coming down :P

Gold coast isn't to bad, there is a pretty strong sweep most of the time which can take you out of the patrolled area pretty quick. There are the usual amount of rips you would expect from that type of beach aswell. Avoid Surfers Paradise- full of tourists and tossers. Broadbeach (as in near Broady SLSC) is my favourite place, but it depends on the day.

I got two of my fingers amputated by an angry mule.

You need to get a better health insurance policy...

You need to get a better health insurance policy...

You're telling me? I had to co-pay!

It's raining here in Southern California, and that means animals are coming indoors to keep warm. For me, this usually means earwigs and pillbugs and common house spiders like harvestmen and browns and such, but today it meant being bitten by a female Black Widow spider. My habit of trying to identify crawling things that hitch rides on my arms or legs, rather than swatting them and reconstructing what they might've been after the fact, earned me a nice little red welt/rash from a legendary type of spider, which apparently is active not just in summer, but in winter as well.

The Widow spider is in every back yard in California, usually thousands of times over, but it's not easy getting bit by one, which meant that my childhood curiosity over how painful the bite would be or whether it would kill me, as many other kids liked to claim, was unlikely ever to be satisfied. But, against the odds, it has! Neat! :D

Predictably, the schoolyard stories of instant, excruciating death were far from true. A little pain, a little rash, and a bit of Cortizone were the only results. The whole thing awoke an old curiosity, though, so I thought I'd ask the question:

What kinds of crazy things have you been bitten by? What were the effects? What kinds of wild stories did you hear about dangerous bugs as a kid? Was there any truth to them, or were they just talk?
I'm allergic to Black Widow venom, and I was bitten by one once and nearly died.

I was also bitten by a Brown Recluse, though luckily I didn't get any necrotic tissue due to swift medical treatment.

I've also been bitten by various jumping spiders.

Never been bitten. This may be due to the fact that I've got a good knowledge of poisonous spiders' predators so I never do stupid things like kill house centipedes or ordinary house spiders. Even wolf spiders get a free pass, albeit usually ending up in the garage or basement instead of the rest of the house.

number of things, but i once saw someone get biten by a camel

Camels are vicious.

I'm allergic to Black Widow venom, and I was bitten by one once and nearly died.

I was also bitten by a Brown Recluse, though luckily I didn't get any necrotic tissue due to swift medical treatment.

I've also been bitten by various jumping spiders.

Jumping spiders are cute, what did you do to provoke it?

Camels are vicious.



Jumping spiders are cute, what did you do to provoke it?

It crawled into bed with me and decided it didn't like the fact that I was sleeping in my bed. :(