Why Are Bugs So Gross

Bugs can seem gross to some people because of the way they look and their behavior. The creepy crawly factor that people associate with encountering a massive number of bugs has provided the gross element that horror films promote to make people squirm, sending insects skittering through our subconscious.

Associated with Halloween and haunted mansions, spiders are considered terrifying by a significant number of people. Interestingly, most spiders are beneficial in controlling other pests that enter your home. Spider webs, often intricate and beautiful, are overlooked for fear of spiders themselves. Spiders are mostly harmless, except for widow spiders, brown recluse, and Australia’s funnel-web spiders. In South Florida, widow spiders and recluse spiders can be avoided by watching your step around wood piles and in dark, undisturbed places such as attics and storage rooms. The fact that bugs have exoskeletons, exaggerated antennae, odd-looking bodies, and furry legs makes them so different from the human or mammal makeup that we perceive bugs as negative or other than ourselves.

In large numbers, ants, roaches and other bugs elicit a terror response in most people. Generally, humans fear things they don’t understand. Honey bees, for example, are responsible for the food we eat, but a lot of people think all bees, wasps, and hornets are dangerous killer bees. Some of this fear of bees, mosquitoes, bed bugs, roaches, termites, and ticks is justified, as these bugs pose health threats and destroy property. A healthy fear of some bugs, along with education about bugs can decrease the ‘gross’ factor when it comes to bugs.

If you’re more interested in keeping bugs out of your South Florida home and away from your family, we understand and our pest control experts at Petri Pest Control Services are ready to help do that. By working around the perimeter of your property, our goal is to keep the bugs from entering your home in the first place. Ready to schedule a free inspection? Call us today!