All Bugged Out

When I was little especially around the ages of five and six, I did not like a lot of insects and I especially did not like them landing on me. Butterflies and ladybugs were one of the only exceptions.

The insects that really stand out to me that I was afraid of were ants, wasps , and mosquitos.

I remember I was about five or six and I was outside playing around a large tree while my mom was outside hanging clothes on the line. I must have brushed against the bark of the tree and an ant must have crawled onto my arm.

I either must have felt the tickling sensation of the ant crawling on me or just happened to look down and noticed it. Either way, seeing that ant on my arm crawling really freaked me out! It was a big ant too, I think a wood ant. Or at least it looked big to me as a little kid.

I must have been too terrified to flick it off my arm. Maybe I was afraid it was going to bite me if I missed, because I remember screaming and running over to where my mom was still hanging up laundry. Without any effort, she flicked the ant off my arm like nothing. I can’t remember what she said but I’m sure she must have been thinking, “An ant? Really?” as my adult self would probably be thinking about my five to six year old self. I was greatly relieved and avoided that tree for the rest of the afternoon.

A very similar incident happened with a mosquito. I was outside playing minding my own business when a gigantic mosquito landed on my arm. I was terrified! Once again, a trusted adult came over and swatted the mosquito off with very little effort.

And then there was one of the times I got stung. This time by a wasp. I honestly can’t remember if it was the first time I got stung, but it was one of the most traumatic to me. I remember it very well!

My family had an old abandoned chicken house. Back before I was born, my family had chickens which they used for eggs. By the time I was born, they did away with the chickens and only the chicken house stood. Now, it was just a place to store random scraps and parts off cars maybe and other random junk you’d likely find in a shed.

I really wasn’t supposed to be in the chicken house because it had random junk in it that I could trip over and get hurt on.

I was 9 times out of 10 an obedient kid. I rarely ever did things I wasn’t allowed to do unless my curiosity got the best of me. I really wanted to see just what was inside that chicken house. I didn’t make it in very far when a huge wasp (yes, I must have thought that all insects seemed huge to me) shot out of nowhere, landed on my arm, and stung me.

It happened so fast, and yet I was just frozen in shock before I realized what happened. And then, I remember the instant pain from being stung. I took off out of that chicken house so fast and I have never gone back in there after that incident! I learned my lesson!

Were you afraid of insects in any way when you were little? Or what fears if any did you have back then?