Comments on: Assassin Bugs http://organicgardensite.com/bugs-beneficial/assassin-bugs/ Organic Gardening - saving our planet one yard at a time! Wed, 16 May 2012 21:11:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Viv http://organicgardensite.com/bugs-beneficial/assassin-bugs/comment-page-1/#comment-2286 Viv Tue, 18 Oct 2011 22:26:20 +0000 http://organicgardensite.com/?p=15#comment-2286 As it turned out, I didn't see the doc. It took a couple of months, but everything settled down and is fine. Renee, it does sound like an Assassin Bug that you have. I'm not sure of the specific type, I'm sure that Cahri can help with the I.D. of it though. How it ended up in your area is relatively simple. There is vegetation with other insects. Assassin Bugs are stealthy little critters and sit in wait and/or go hunting. I've had the chance to see some documentaries about them. Talk about awesome! I don't mind seeing them in my garden or around in my yard, I just don't wish to be its next meal...LOL As it turned out, I didn’t see the doc. It took a couple of months, but everything settled down and is fine. Renee, it does sound like an Assassin Bug that you have. I’m not sure of the specific type, I’m sure that Cahri can help with the I.D. of it though. How it ended up in your area is relatively simple. There is vegetation with other insects. Assassin Bugs are stealthy little critters and sit in wait and/or go hunting. I’ve had the chance to see some documentaries about them. Talk about awesome! I don’t mind seeing them in my garden or around in my yard, I just don’t wish to be its next meal…LOL

]]> By: Renee http://organicgardensite.com/bugs-beneficial/assassin-bugs/comment-page-1/#comment-2283 Renee Mon, 17 Oct 2011 08:44:23 +0000 http://organicgardensite.com/?p=15#comment-2283 Last night my son and his female friend and I went out on our porch to visit; my son told his friend, "you better get up quick there's a big bug on the back of your chair". Of course she jumped up: none of us had ever seen a bug like this one so we coaxed it in to a jar with a stick and had our neighbor come over and tell us if he knew what it was. He said it was an assassin bug and told us they had found one a while back and researched it to find out they had found one too but not as big as this one and a different color. Before even seeing it up close he asked us if it had a mohawk looking thing on it's head and we told him yes, it does then he told us what it was and a few details they had found about them when they ran across one. We live in a city in central Indiana no farms or anything like that near by. We are in a supberb so there are a lot of trees but we were wondering where this creepy 1½ - 2" bug came from. It's black with a greenish/blue tint to it's underside of it's wings but mostly black; it has the mohawk looking thing on it's head and a very long siphon looking thing coming out of it's head that goes clear under it's front part of it's body. It looks like a cross between a spider, a locust, & a big black cricket with a mohawk.. it's really gross looking. I put it in the freezer in the jar to kill it. Once captured it secreted some sort of watery looking stuff with little black specks in it that looked like they could be off spring of the bug only about 10 times smaller. It has what looks like holes around the bottom of it's belly/butt area or maybe just dots but they looked as if they were opening once we captured it with no air. (mind you city folks don't like creepy looking 2" bugs)Can you identify it for us with this description and is there somewhere we could send it for verification or something? After reading all I have on these assassin bugs I am really glad the young lady sitting in that chair did not get bit. I did notice a bee flying around the chair so maybe it was up there after the bee which would have been fine with me had it not been so close to our front door because I do not want these things in my house. Last night my son and his female friend and I went out on our porch to visit; my son told his friend, “you better get up quick there’s a big bug on the back of your chair”. Of course she jumped up: none of us had ever seen a bug like this one so we coaxed it in to a jar with a stick and had our neighbor come over and tell us if he knew what it was. He said it was an assassin bug and told us they had found one a while back and researched it to find out they had found one too but not as big as this one and a different color. Before even seeing it up close he asked us if it had a mohawk looking thing on it’s head and we told him yes, it does then he told us what it was and a few details they had found about them when they ran across one. We live in a city in central Indiana no farms or anything like that near by. We are in a supberb so there are a lot of trees but we were wondering where this creepy 1½ – 2″ bug came from. It’s black with a greenish/blue tint to it’s underside of it’s wings but mostly black; it has the mohawk looking thing on it’s head and a very long siphon looking thing coming out of it’s head that goes clear under it’s front part of it’s body. It looks like a cross between a spider, a locust, & a big black cricket with a mohawk.. it’s really gross looking. I put it in the freezer in the jar to kill it. Once captured it secreted some sort of watery looking stuff with little black specks in it that looked like they could be off spring of the bug only about 10 times smaller. It has what looks like holes around the bottom of it’s belly/butt area or maybe just dots but they looked as if they were opening once we captured it with no air. (mind you city folks don’t like creepy looking 2″ bugs)Can you identify it for us with this description and is there somewhere we could send it for verification or something? After reading all I have on these assassin bugs I am really glad the young lady sitting in that chair did not get bit. I did notice a bee flying around the chair so maybe it was up there after the bee which would have been fine with me had it not been so close to our front door because I do not want these things in my house.

]]> By: Viv http://organicgardensite.com/bugs-beneficial/assassin-bugs/comment-page-1/#comment-1315 Viv Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:30:42 +0000 http://organicgardensite.com/?p=15#comment-1315 Thank you Cahri for your help in this matter. This is the first time an insect bite or sting has affected me so. I'll call the doc in the morning. Thank you Cahri for your help in this matter. This is the first time an insect bite or sting has affected me so. I’ll call the doc in the morning.

]]> By: Cahri http://organicgardensite.com/bugs-beneficial/assassin-bugs/comment-page-1/#comment-1313 Cahri Wed, 08 Oct 2008 02:26:14 +0000 http://organicgardensite.com/?p=15#comment-1313 Viv.....you should go see a doc. Sometimes some of use have reactions that need some help Regards Cahri Viv…..you should go see a doc. Sometimes some of use have reactions that need some help
Regards
Cahri

]]> By: Viv http://organicgardensite.com/bugs-beneficial/assassin-bugs/comment-page-1/#comment-1311 Viv Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:11:51 +0000 http://organicgardensite.com/?p=15#comment-1311 My son and I were looking for crickets for his lizard and my tarantula. Far be it from me, to figure out how he managed to pick up an Assassin Bug without getting "bitten". As I was collecting the crickets and putting them into the two seperate tanks for the lizard and tarantula, I finally noticed a "beatle". At least, that's what I thought it was. It had a dark brown coloring. I reached in and picked it up not realizing, then suddenly I felt this horrible, "burning/stinging" in my finger. The whole tip of my finger above the joint was in immense pain. I've never felt anything like it. I immediately screamed and shook my hand, throwing it to the floor. I used a piece of card board to pick it up. I saw then that it was an Assassin Bug. I didn't think very much about it. I was just a little concerned about whether or not, I'd have to worry about any type of an enzyme or toxin that he may have injected. This was a little over a week ago. In the process, my finger still has pain upon pressure, lots of itching and now a slight raised rash is forming on the fingertip by the injection site. I've tried draining it, to see if it would help. I've soaked my finger in hydrogen peroxide and witch hazel. The witch hazel helped with the itching. I've been stung by a bee in the past and showed no reaction other than just a little itching for a couple of days. Should I expect more with this before it gets any better? Sincerely Vivienne B. My son and I were looking for crickets for his lizard and my tarantula. Far be it from me, to figure out how he managed to pick up an Assassin Bug without getting “bitten”.

As I was collecting the crickets and putting them into the two seperate tanks for the lizard and tarantula, I finally noticed a “beatle”. At least, that’s what I thought it was. It had a dark brown coloring. I reached in and picked it up not realizing, then suddenly I felt this horrible, “burning/stinging” in my finger. The whole tip of my finger above the joint was in immense pain. I’ve never felt anything like it. I immediately screamed and shook my hand, throwing it to the floor.

I used a piece of card board to pick it up. I saw then that it was an Assassin Bug. I didn’t think very much about it. I was just a little concerned about whether or not, I’d have to worry about any type of an enzyme or toxin that he may have injected.

This was a little over a week ago. In the process, my finger still has pain upon pressure, lots of itching and now a slight raised rash is forming on the fingertip by the injection site. I’ve tried draining it, to see if it would help. I’ve soaked my finger in hydrogen peroxide and witch hazel. The witch hazel helped with the itching.

I’ve been stung by a bee in the past and showed no reaction other than just a little itching for a couple of days. Should I expect more with this before it gets any better?

Sincerely

Vivienne B.

]]> By: Joe Huels http://organicgardensite.com/bugs-beneficial/assassin-bugs/comment-page-1/#comment-3 Joe Huels Sun, 17 Jul 2005 22:14:37 +0000 http://organicgardensite.com/?p=15#comment-3 I just got bitten by an assassin bug that looks exactly like your picture of a brown assassin bug above. It hurt like a yellowjacket sting and bled a bit. Pain lasted for about 5 minutes but bite site is still tender. (right on the knee) I smacked the sucker and killed it but it's still in pretty good shape. Except for the flat tail, this thing looks a little like a small preying mantis. I've seen these things around for years but never had contact with one until now. I was laying down and felt something on the side of my leg. I guess I rolled on top of it. He's about an inch long. I just got bitten by an assassin bug that looks exactly like your picture of a brown assassin bug above. It hurt like a yellowjacket sting and bled a bit. Pain lasted for about 5 minutes but bite site is still tender. (right on the knee) I smacked the sucker and killed it but it’s still in pretty good shape. Except for the flat tail, this thing looks a little like a small preying mantis. I’ve seen these things around for years but never had contact with one until now. I was laying down and felt something on the side of my leg. I guess I rolled on top of it. He’s about an inch long.

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