tickle bugs

aka box elder bugs

these bugs are a topic of amusement when it comes to Josh and his family. Apparently there was a toddler snacking incident many moons ago.

When it comes to my parents house, box elder bugs are a common part of life, more so this year than in years past. They come in waves, buzzing-crawling infestations that swarm around the house, inside and out. The ground is literally crawling with harmless but creepy box elder bugs. They scatter and some take flight buzzing in your face with their red bodies and black wings.

They have been nick named "tickle bugs" because of their tickling legs initially in a effort to make my little sister not scared of them. Now Elijah and Sam have fallen in love with them.

Sam will find dead ones around the house ("sleeping" ones) and escort them outside pinched in his little fingers and lovingly throw them out the door.

Last night Elijah kept popping his head down the stairs exclaiming that he found a tickle bug in his bed and a few minutes later he came down to tell us that one had climbed on his hand and tickled him and then climbed up his sleeve and then yet again to say he had found one "sleeping" next to his bed. By that time I was a bit frustrated and was very tempted to go up stairs and trample all the tickle bugs into oblivion.

To top it all off I swore I felt one tickling me in bed last night and woke up to find evidence that I was not mistaken. Ew SICK!

I attempted to take a video of the bugs. I stepped in the flowerbed to get them moving more and it stirred them up a bit, they started flying around me and buzzin in my face so the video is a bit shaky.

Spring is in the air! There were multiple feet of snow on the ground when we got to my parents house but it has been getting warmer every day we have been here, the snow is receding, crocus' are out, the tulips are popping up their leaves, and the BUGS ARE OUT. While I was out stirring up the box elder bugs today there was a massive bumble bee flying around the crocus blooms. I am so ready for spring and will take any sign of it I can get.