Free book Friday!

Leslie Guinan says:

My most frequent encounters with wicked bugs are with ticks. I just found one on my newly adopted puppy and tried this method to remove it. Crazy, but it worked. Wear a latex glove though.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-remove-a-tick/

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 7:17 am.

Jan Doble says:

Not to copy the commenter before me, as ticks certainly are not very exciting, but my ‘closest’ encounters may have been with them, as well. I’ve been bitten more times than I can recall, and have had Lyme disease too. Not fun. I refuse to stop gardening because of them, though;-)

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 7:28 am.

charlotte Owendyk says:

Always look forward to reading your email.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 7:32 am.

Stephanie Witte says:

This fall my house was invaded by giant horse flies.  I didn’t want to use a fly spray inside because I have children, so we had to hang those nasty sticky fly traps in our window to catch them.  In one day I counted 50 Horse Flies stuck on the traps.  The infestation only lasted 4 or 5 days, but the buzzing sound was really creepy and will last in my memory much longer!

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 7:36 am.

Connie Beck says:

I loved her last book so much I bought 3 copies and gave them to friends for Christmas a couple of years ago.  I hope I win this one so I can share from it with my organic gardening class!

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 7:38 am.

Genelle Charette says:

I woke up one morning in Brisbane, went to the loo, and casually looked up to fine a HUGE huntsman spider (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huntsman_spider) directly above my head.  Closed my eyes, finished my business, and went for reinforcements.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 7:51 am.

Cheryl says:

Not very exciting but as a little girl we had gazillions of potato bugs!  Ugly but harmless?  I don’t see them anymore.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 7:59 am.

Jill Patterson says:

My first tomato hornworm freaked me out completely!  I used chopsticks to pick it off and the thing actually spit at me.  Those big suckers look like something out of a horror movie.

Oh, yes, and I’ve been “ticked”, too.  Scary.  Had a friend scrub my back with a stiff brush after I got it off.  Thank goodness, no repercussions.  I feel for Jan having Lyme disease.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 8:06 am.

Kathy Matthews says:

Love insects - especially dragonflies, thought to be demons of the sky by some. Native Americans think they represent purity because they eat from the wind.  They have some bad nicknames like: witches’ animal, ear cutter, and Devil’s needle, but I like the Native American’s view and enjoy their grace in flight and beauty glinting in the sun.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 8:14 am.

Carol Kornievsky says:

Love to open this book!  My son is studying Botany and has just cleaned me out of all my gardening books. I would be so happy to get my hands on this one first and get some good dirt to share with him.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 8:21 am.

maryann Marks says:

Your Comment
I have SPIDERS, WHITEFLY and grasshoppers galore!

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 8:23 am.

Greg Stevenson says:

I first realized how quickly Argentine ants could swarm when I left my dorm room for leaving a half finish can of coke, by the edge of desk desk.

When I returned thirsty about 2.5 hours later, I quickly took a big gulp from the can. I was expecting cola, but ants were thick in the can.

I immediately started spitting and it continued for days until my mind/body was finally convinced my mouth was free of ants.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 8:23 am.

Bracey Tiede says:

Love Amy’s books. Was kneeling on the ground weeding one day and heard a buzz like a hummingbird. The buzz got closer and whacked me in the head. It wasn’t a hummingbird but rather a green fruit beetle, a large, shiny green beetle about an inch long. It was rather startling.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 8:29 am.

Ellen B. says:

I love bugs - except roaches!  Used to live in a part of the country where they were common; one of the reasons I love SoCal now.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 8:35 am.

Jennifer says:

I used to eat blackberries straight off the vine in our garden without bothering to rinse or check for anything besides ripeness. One day I popped a blackberry in and got some kind of beetle. It bit my tongue, and I spat everything out, but my tongue went numb for a few hours and I felt rather peculiar for the rest of the day. There must have been something toxic in its bite!

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 9:08 am.

Jen Thompson says:

a) we get Japanese beetles in our yard in the summer which means b) we have their larvae in our raised bed garden in the winter. There’s nothing more disgusting than turning over soil and finding one of them in a shovel-ful of dirt. Blech.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 9:15 am.

Benjamin says:

I had a preying mantis cut me last summer. I should’ve left it alone. Ah well.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 9:19 am.

Terrence McNally says:

totally got bit by mosquitos.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 9:19 am.

nora koenig says:

The “bugs” I don’t like are what I’ve heard are called Japanese beetles…the big metallic green flying bugs that seem to come after you when you’re working in the yard

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 9:24 am.

judy says:

Oh, definitely the Brown Tail Moth caterpillar. That nasty little bugger has millions of tiny hairs with barbs on them that carry a histamine. In addition to the young caterpillars defoliating most everything in sight, the little hairs get carried around on the breeze and stick to your skin causing a horrific rash. A strong antihistamine helped me but lots of folks needed steroids to calm the fire. The moths are reputed to have arrived on a shipment of roses from England in the late 1800’s and spread all over the northeast. Cold inland winters drove them to the more temperate coast and their population explodes periodically, in no particular time pattern. Not looking forward to their next visit!

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 9:26 am.

Garden Goddess says:

My latest creepy crawley incident was just last week.  I’d just gotten up and was drawing some water for my morning tea—and there in the sink was a gynormous spider!  I mean HUGE!  I got the water going, grabbed a newspaper and took it outside for a walk, but it decided to start the walk before it got outside and kept getting closer and closer to my hand on the newspaper…  eeeuuggghhh Wonderful way to wake up in the morning, don’t you think?  How do they get inside anyway???

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 9:27 am.

Monika says:

Not a bug, but an alligator lizard poked its head out of pot that I was watering. Yikes!

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 9:38 am.

rama says:

I was at an outdoor wedding and got stung by a wasp on my right thumb.  Throughout the entire reception my thumb was swollen, stinging and itchy.  It looked like a weird inflated zit on my finger.  Luckily after a few hours the swelling came down and things were better.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 9:38 am.

Perennial Harmony says:

I once picked up a peach with my thumb over the stem indent.  I got bit by a spider, my arm had sharp shooting pains and then it went completely numb.  I was only 10, and afraid to tell anyone.  I hid until my dead arm was alive again.  I always wondered what kind of spider it was and where it came from.
Love Amy Stewart’s books!

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 9:47 am.

Perennial Harmony says:

I also inhaled a live spider that fell into a carton of chocolate milk as I was driving.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 9:48 am.

victoria says:

There are so many bugs even in the coldest weather .. My strawberries are all but stems ... and the roses . Oh my what shall i do ??? got to go to work . Garden will wait and there simply is no RAIN , I pray for rain… thanks

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 9:50 am.

Cory Walsh says:

In my wildflower section I noticed bunches of itty bitty caterpillars all over one of the plants.  Since caterpillars have been eating my geraniums, I immediately cleaned them all off my plant.  Turns out the plant was Milkweed and the caterpillars I destroyed would have been butterflies…
:=(
I definitely need some bug help!

Cory Walsh
Lake Forest

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 9:53 am.

Bev Servadio says:

My most noteworthy experience was at the age of 8yrs and in the 3rd grade.  I’d caught a “bug” and confined it to a coffee can.  Next day I took it to school to “share” at Show & Tell.  The teacher got REAL excited when I pulled the lid off and made us all leave the classroom.  Seems she didn’t care much for the Tarantula I’d brought in.  My mom and dad were not too happy either.  If choosen, the book will be donated to our city library.  I have a copy and continue to enjoy every single page!

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 10:29 am.

Patty Driscoll says:

We encountered a scorpion on the floor during the night at a place we were staying in Belize several years ago.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 10:30 am.

Linda Mendelssohn says:

There is some big hard crusty “thing” that is in my compost pile - would love to find out what it is.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 10:35 am.

Susan Bulger says:

My daughter and I rescued a black bunny living in some shrubs near a busy intersection.  She was extremely infested with fleas and ticks.  We took her to a vet with an attached grooming service.  The bunny had two baths and got free of the torture of those wicked bugs.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 10:37 am.

Laurin Lindsey says:

The most wicked bugs to me are the little brown German roaches…..they eat books!!! Or at the very least poop all over them : )  it is disgusting.  It is so disheartening to move and finally unpack my beloved books and find them vandalized : (

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 10:42 am.

tj says:

...My close encounter happened years ago, it was a HUGE spider in our bathtub.  I was getting ready for a shower and wasn’t paying much attention when I pulled back the shower curtain and there it was.  It was the biggest spider I had ever seen in my life.  I promptly put on a robe, got out my ‘spider saver’ jar and took it outside.

...They usually don’t scare me but the size of this one made me stand back and say, “whoa!”...  I still swear to this day it winked at me. lol… ;o)

...I love the thought of this book and the cover too.  Thank you for the giveaway!

...Peace & Blessings :o)

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 10:50 am.

Jean says:

Got bit by a scorpion on a rafting trip in Grand Canyon. Other than swelling didn’t have any other problem Lucky. Bad reaction would mean being helicopted out of the canyon.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 10:56 am.

M.S. says:

When I was about 14, I was watering potted plants in a small walled in area, and I startled a big grasshopper which flew around and landed on my leg.  Grasshoppers have given me the willys ever since.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 11:00 am.

Sharon K. says:

Loved Amy’s seminar at Master Gardener Seminar a couple years back!  Hate the flying iridescent fig beetles.  They don’t hurt but they scare me to pieces

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 11:04 am.

Jeannette says:

I was camping in the desert one time with my family.  It was dark outside except for the stars, moon, and campfire.  I took a big gulp of hot chocolate and felt something crunch in my mouth.  I am not sure what it was - a June bug, a moth - not sure.  I wasn’t waiting to find out.  I threw the cup and ran for an outdoor water faucet.  That happened more than 20 years ago and I still remember it.

On another occasion, when I was about 9 years old, I was playing on our land in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan.  There was an old pot belly stove in our yard and I was curious about what was inside.  I stuck my hand in the center of the stove and pulled out my little hand and arm that was full of hornets.  That image I will never forget either.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 11:10 am.

Nicole says:

As a cut flower farmer I am constantly squishing some horrible mini monsters who are devouring beautiful blooms. Japanese Beatles are my main nemesis. I will grab a handful from a rose and squish them in my hands or stick my finer nails through there hard shells. Thanks for the giveaway.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 11:13 am.

Karon says:

I used to dream about spiders.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 11:15 am.

Marj Myers says:

When I first moved to Missouri, I had no idea what chiggers were but after sitting on the grass, I soon found out.  They get under your skin and itch forever. My grandson told the story about the time he put on his trousers not knowing there were fire ants in them and needless to say, he was on ‘fire’ from the waist down. Something he will never forget. The book about bugs sounds great—there are lots of wicked bugs, more than we realize!

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 11:16 am.

jess s says:

it’s not especially wicked, but i encounter slugs a lot and i feel a lot of animosity towards them. also, the yellow jacket wasps that eat my poor honeybees. :( what is meaner than eating a honeybee!??

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 12:05 pm.

Nancy Shaw says:

Speaking of wicked bugs, a couple of years ago we were invaded by grasshoppers.  They practically devoured our entire garden.  I asked someone how to get rid of them.  They suggested a 2 x 4.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 12:11 pm.

Cindy Kerschner says:

Stink Bugs are my latest ememy. Don’t they EVER just go away?

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 12:12 pm.

Ron, the Plant Man says:

As an adult, I used to live next door to a very old lady who was quite well off financially, but she lived totally in the past.  My young children called her Gramma Bessie.  She would ask me to do some work in her yard and then offer me 50 cents when I finished!  I was raised to decline money from older people so I always refused the money.  However, it was in her yard that I had my worst experience with insects. She ask me to trim back a bush that had grown up under the eves of her house so I got out the ladder and pruning shears and climbed up the ladder with out looking.  Next thing I knew I was surrounded with wasps as I had bumped my head on the paper like structure they build and they started stinging me.  I jumped (dumb idea) off the ladder and broke my ankle when I landed.  The wasps followed me to the ground and continued to sting me as I attempted to crawl away!  Finally after rolling in the grass they finally gave up.  The folks in the emergency room had a hard time deciding which to treat first…all the wasp stings or the broken ankle!  Oh, and the old lady offered me a dollar to help pay for the emergency room visit!  I still hate wasps, but Gramma Bessie is still a sweet memory in my mind!

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 1:31 pm.

Sharon says:

I had a swarm of wasps fly at me and sting me when I was taking cuttings from a rose bush.  Found out the hard way that I am allergic to them! I still get them every summer. Seems like as soon the nest is found and we think they are all dead, another pops up in another location around our home.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 1:59 pm.

Monica Brown Cyphers says:

Breeding killer mosquitoes here in Texas.
Always enjoy reading your works Amy.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 2:04 pm.

Judy Sundermann says:

My 3 grandchildren would love it if I won and could tell them the great tales of wicked bugs.

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 2:47 pm.

Donna Minick says:

I Was teaching English in a commuonity location in Santa Ana when the ugliest bug I had ever seen appeared in the classroom.  The students called it Baby Jesus and indeed it looked like a tiny human fetus. As a gardener I was amazed that I had never encountered this creature before, but later after doing some research, I learned that it is a form of beetle that lives mostly underground.  I’ve never seen one of these again.  Donna Minick

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 3:35 pm.

Shirley R. says:

When my son was living in Arkansas, he got up one morning and put his slippers on only to be bitten by a Brown Recluse Spider!  It had been sleeping in there overnight.  His leg ended up turning black and he high-tailed it to the hospital for some antibiotics.  Thank goodness all turned out well!
Needless to say, I hate spiders!

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 4:01 pm.

PAT HURLBUTT says:

MY BUG PROBLEM IS SCALE. IT IS A BUG WRAPPEDIN WHITE GOO. AFTER FIGHTING WITH EVERY THING I COULD HAVE FINALLY LOST A LOVELY DWARF MEYER LEMON AND A DWARF LIME. BOTH MARVELOUS YEILDERS.
IF ANY ONE KNOWS A CURE , I WOULD APPRECIATE RECEIVING AS HAVE NOT DISPOSED OF THEM YET.
      DESPERATE,PAT

Posted on January 6, 2012 at 4:43 pm.