Top 10 Most Annoying Insects

Bzzzzzzzz…SPLAT. Join WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the "Top 10 Most Annoying Insects." For this list, we’re counting down the biggest assholes of the Insecta Class and how they inspire both a deep sense of annoyance and temporary psychosis within us. Spiders, being arachnids rather than insects, don’t count.

#10: Horse-Flies

You bat one away and it comes back, always wanting more. Why can’t the horse-fly just leave us alone? Well, our collective outdoor misery falls mainly on the females of the species. They’re the ones that seek our blood for protein in order to produce equally annoying offspring. What do the male horseflies do? Just kick back and chill, probably because they’re too damn weak to do any biting themselves. That IS a scientific fact. Horse-fly bites make a big impact, which is something we cannot say about those damn deer flies.

#9: Earwigs

With a name that’s popularly thought to have come from an old wives’ tale about an insect that burrows into the human brain to lay its eggs, these long and skinny jerks had to make this list. They boast pincers, squirt smelly liquid in self-defense, and you may be surprised to learn they have wings. Yeah, they can fly, though they usually don’t—which just annoys us even more. They just crawl around your dampest rooms at night, and hide out during the day in the cracks and crevices just waiting to make their move. Honestly, we can’t help but think of this scene from Wrath of Khan every time we hear the word “earwig”—accurate or not.

It’s not hard to imagine Jerry Seinfeld dissecting the very nature of this deeply annoying insect: “What’s the deal with wasssppps? They’re not a bee; they’re not an ant? I mean c’monnn!” What they are is bleeping annoying with their colorful yellow jackets that make us feel guilty when we swat them down. But seriously, bees sting, but at least they make honey. Wasps not only don’t make honey, they steal honey from bees. Just who the hell do they think they are? The wasp-inspired military technology and even superheroes, and they certainly inspire temporary madness within the average human being. Sure, they can take down other pests but we still hate (ahem)… “dislike” them with a passion.

#7: Fleas

These are the bastard insects of Mother Nature that take advantage of our pets. The flea can live as long as 18 months, and once they reach “adulthood,” they seek out blood from our cats and dogs. They don’t have wings, but they do have genitalia and claws. However they’re so damn repulsive that most people don’t really care about their biological makeup. No matter how much we love our children and furry pets, we all dread the day when they come home with fleas or another terrible pest—lice—as we slowly fall to our knees and scream out “WHYYYYY?”

#6: Ladybug [aka Harlequin Ladybird]

Oh, hey, Ladybug. What a cute name you have! You look harmless—actually you’re kinda cute—but we still despise your existence. Okay, these tiny insects aren’t all that bad. It’s just that the Asian Lady Beetle is fricken everywhere, crawling around and sometimes crawling on our bodies. Nobody loses control of their bladder when the Asian Lady Beetle appears, but we know what they’re up to. They’re busy annoying the hell out of practically everybody, and what is up with that stench?

Nobody enjoys the company of cockroaches. In fact, most people will immediately squash them, even if it ruins their favorite book. We have an innate need to destroy these little monsters, but their damn speed makes that hard to do. Sometimes a person awakens to the sight of a cockroach sharing their pillow, which raises the distinct possibility that it’s already crawled in and around their mouth. The cockroach is more than just a pest—it’s the international symbol for everything awful. Plus, they’re damn near invincible.

#4: Bed Bugs

Scholars refer to them as “Cimex lectularius” and they’ve long consumed the minds and beds of philosophers. Even Aristotle referenced their existence on what must have been a particularly annoying afternoon in Ancient Greece. Travelers have been known to experience a special relationship with bed bugs, which may be unwanted gifts left behind by other travelers. Our tiny insect friends can literally make us go mad from their pestering and propensity to suck our blood. With all the international traveling going on today, somebody needs to invent a mobile bed bug detector already so that we can all sleep in peace.

#3: Gnats / Midges / Black Flies

While many insects destroy the tranquility of our home lives, other infuriating pests make us pay for trying to enjoy the great outdoors. Gnats like to travel in packs—called a ghost of gnats— almost as if to say “let’s bite the hell out of those campers,” while midges spread disease to livestock. Black flies? They also spread sickness, but mostly just wander around like they don’t know what the heck is going on. These types of insects play a major role in most outdoor excursions, biting their way into family discussions and thoroughly invading our nightmares.

#2: Carpenter Ants [aka Sugar Ants]

These strange creatures don’t play a role in erecting log cabins but they do essentially hang out like a bunch of bum insects. Because that’s what they are—BUMS. Sure, carpenter ants won’t eat your place down—after all, they don’t consume wood like equally annoying termites. But they do enjoy building nests in wood—mainly in dead or damp areas—as well as slowly diminishing the value of homes. That’s way worse than their also-annoying, picnic-ruining brethren. Under the right conditions, male and female carpenter ants will actually have sex while flying in the air—you know, “nuptial flight”—which always ends badly for the male given the certain death that follows. And don’t even get us started on exploding ants.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

• Crickets
• House Flies
• Fruit Flies
• Pinacate Beetles [aka Stink Beetles]

It doesn’t matter what you are—amphibian, bird, or mammal—the mosquito WILL find you. Imagine Liam Neeson from Taken and then imagine him with an insect face. That’s the mosquito, and they do have a particular set of skills. Mosquitoes don’t just linger around and make us scratch—no; they set up shop on our skin and just suck away at our blood with extreme focus. They leave bites all over our bodies and can make our lives miserable with the constant scratching. And when you do kill them, they often leave a bloody smudge on your arm or wall. Oh, and they also carry deadly diseases to all corners of the world, so thanks, mosquitoes. You guys suck. Literally.

Do you agree with our list? What insect do you find the most annoying? For more mind-blowing Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.