I never thought it would happen to me of all people!

United States
June 8, 2024 10:43am CST
In my area, there is a bug called the Spotted lantern fly. For some reason, when I first noticed them last summer, I was petrified of them as their name indicates they fly. Last summer one was hanging onto my dining room window. then one flew away from being on my front door when I opened it They also sit on my front porch in random spots. Thank goodness they went away for the winter. I try to get groceries delivered at least once a week from Walmart. I always get them delivered between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Most delivery people bring everything into my house. well, today's delivery person included something else when he stepped indoors. It was the spotted lantern fly that I noticed sitting on the rug in front of the door!!! I handled it better than I thought I would. I would NEVER hurt it. If it hadn't opened its wings and flown away I would have gently nudged it with a magazine. I think it was more afraid of me than me of it they deserve their place on earth even if they scare me! I didn't know they were out yet as I have been looking on the porch and I have not seen any before my "houseguest" Have you ever been afraid of a particular bug or animal?
9 people like this
9 responses
@LadyDuck (472097)
• Switzerland
9 Jun
I am not afraid by lantern flies, but I am afraid of roaches and I hate mosquitoes.
2 people like this
• United States
10 Jun
I don't like any of the bugs you mentioned. I am getting over my fear of the lantern fly. Maybe having one in my house was part of exposure therapy
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (472097)
• Switzerland
10 Jun
@LovesEverybody May be it was part of the therapy and you will get over your fear, I am sure.
1 person likes this
• United States
10 Jun
@LadyDuck I am sorry, that was a joke! I am not good at them. Though I am afraid of the spotted lanternflies. I did not have any official exposure therapy. My sister told me for the first time ever that when I was a teen doctors did want to do exposure therapy but my parents were vehemently against it. nobody told me until my sister suddenly told me last fall
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (71762)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
8 Jun
Roaches. I don't like them. But, I can't bring myself to do anything to them . We have them in Florida. No matter how clean a home is, they tend to lurk.
2 people like this
• United States
8 Jun
I don't like them for how they look. I don't like most bugs
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (71762)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
8 Jun
@LovesEverybody I don't think many people do.
1 person likes this
• United States
8 Jun
@kaylachan the husband of my sister's good friend studies them and has a Ph.D and is a scientist in the study of insects (I can never remember what the scientist is called.) He studies insects at a university around me
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (182189)
• United States
8 Jun
I really am not fond of the carpenter bees that like to hang around here. I also dislike the wasps. I nuked the nest they were starting to build with wasp spray. I haven't seen any of them since, and I sure hope it stays that way
2 people like this
• United States
8 Jun
I don't like any insect that stings. I have to agree with you to use wasp spray on their nest There used to be a huge rhodendron bush between my bedroom window and my neighbor's house. She finally cut it down this spring the decades before that, there were huge I think wasps or hornets or some stinging insects. i am not sure what. I would see them from my bedroom window. those things were big and scary. they flew around the bush the whole time the flowers were on it
@JESSY3236 (20046)
• United States
11 Jun
I am scared of crickets, roaches, and bees. I am scared of dogs.
1 person likes this
• United States
12 Jun
I am scared of the same as you are are except for dogs
1 person likes this
@paigea (36315)
• Canada
11 Jun
I'm not afraid of them, but I don't like them. One nice thing about harsh winters. No bugs
1 person likes this
@paigea (36315)
• Canada
12 Jun
@LovesEverybody That's also happening here.
1 person likes this
• United States
11 Jun
I do like that about harsh winters But unfortunately for the people of my area and living with the bug population in the coming spring and summer, my area has been having very mild weather for the past several winters. This is unusual as we are supposed to have a mostly cold winter!
1 person likes this
• Pakistan
8 Jun
Encountering unexpected guests like the Spotted Lanternfly can definitely be startling! It's impressive how you handled the situation calmly, even though they give you the creeps. I admire your empathy for all creatures, even the ones that make you a bit uneasy. As for me, I've had my fair share of bug scares, especially with spiders, but I've learned to appreciate their role in the ecosystem from a safe distance.
2 people like this
• United States
8 Jun
it was unexpected and startling because I didn't know they were out yet! I want to appreciate them from a difference. there was a huge spider in my kitchen two weeks ago. I am still jumping imagining things moving two weeks later.
@shaggin (72218)
• United States
11 Jun
They are really bad for the area and we are asked if we see them to kill them. I’ve seen them about an hour away but never in my town luckily. They sure are pretty though although I’m sorry they scare you.
1 person likes this
• United States
11 Jun
I have heard to kill them if we see them too. But as much as I dislike that it seems cruel. I don't know about this summer but one or two summers they are all over in my end of the state. My sister that one of them was outdoors on my dining room window when she was over for a visit and I asked what is that thing. They are very pretty but all bugs scare me
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342060)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 Jun
I don't like redback spiders as they give a very painful bite.
1 person likes this
@dya80dya (36775)
16 Jun
Yes. I am afraid of bats and butterflies. Huge butterflies scare me. Here we don't have those beautiful and colorful butterflies. They are ugly and disgusting. They are grey and huge.