Insects

[EdH]

I must've had something that 'smelled wrong to a wasp' on me while sat in a hot tub last year. I got stung three or four times on the side of my neck within about 20 minutes. I looked like I had some sort of tumour for a few days.

I'd still rather get rid of the mosquitos though. Probably the most damaging insect to humans globally. Plus I'm allergic to them - a bite on my foot, say, will mean I can't wear shoes for a week - and have the gene variant that makes me smell particularly attractive to them. AFAIK from when I last looked it up, there isn't anything in the ecosystem that depends on mosquitos for its survival. Those bastards can do one.

[Matt]

I change my platform. Mosquitos are out.

[Oaktavia]

@EdH said in Insects:

I can't wear shoes for a week

Holy smokes man, if I had that reaction to those feckers I wouldn't be able to spend time outside in my backyard, especially in the evenings.

[EdH]

@Oaktavia I have to drench any exposed skin in deet in the evenings in places like Dubai or when visiting my family in Texas. But it gives me an excuse to drink a lot of Gin & Tonic so there's plusses too.

[Oaktavia]

@EdH haha nice. I always seem to get deet in my mouth it tastes awful but it works. Hope you avoid as many skeeters as you are able to in the future.

[ARNC]

Despite a traumatic incident when I was very young involving a and 🧸, I’m now ok with but definitely against 🦟 and other bitey things. Not anything like as bad as @EdH but I always travel with oral antihistamines in 🦟 season. Eating lots of garlic and drinking alcohol seems to put them off, which is no bad thing

[Matt]

Works for ‍️ too.

[EdH]

I think @ARNC just updated his OS to whatever version started suggesting suitable emoji in the middle of sentences...

That, or his account has been hacked by a mid-20s wannabe Instagram bikini model...

[Matt]

Let’s hope.

[Memphisakers]

[Memphisakers]

Some weird ones from a camping trip a couple weeks back

[ARNC]

Not sure which of @EdH’s possibilities @Matt’s hoping for, but let’s assume it was the first one. I might have got a bit carried away accepting the suggestions from my OS - sorry!

[EdH]

@Memphisakers That crawly thing looks gnarly. Is that some kind of ant?

[EdH]

@ARNC Don't apologise! I was only teasing buddy.

[Memphisakers]

@ARNC I'm more of a picture book kinda guy anyways

@EdH No clue… pretty funny looking though. I had a heck of a time taking his picture. It was a quick one

[ARNC]

@EdH I know. I couldn’t think of anything clever to say so I just played it straight!

[Oaktavia]

@EdH said in Insects:

@Memphisakers That crawly thing looks gnarly. Is that some kind of ant?

It looks like an assassin bug nymph to me.

[Matt]

You mean like an assassin bug that likes to get down?

[Memphisakers]

Not that kinda nymph ya perv

[Memphisakers]

@Oaktavia I think you’re right. Never heard of it, after looking it up I’m glad I didn’t mess with it too much. Apparently it really hurts to get bit by one.