creepy crawlies

I was, and still am, deathly afraid of spiders. I wouldn't kill them because I was afraid that they may not have died and they would get their spider buddies and come after me in the middle of the night. I still refuse to kill a spider.

Rachel

Growing up in San Francisco, at the age of 5 or six I was convinced that when it rained it rained worms. After all, after a rain there were worms all over the sidewalks. Perfectly reasonable.

Anon

The first time as a child that I became acquainted with the "outbreaks" of 13- or 17- year cicadas, and saw their dead skeletons lying around in considerable numbers, I thought I was hearing these insects called "adas" and I thought that what was happening was that they got sick every 13 to 17 years. That's because I thought I was hearing of the "sick adas" that were dying in big numbers when the 13 to 17 year illness hit.

Carmen

I was playing in the dirt one day (being the little scraped-up kneed, tomboyish kid I was) And my dad came up to me and said that dirt was actually worm poop. I was so disgusted that I went to the bathroom to wash my hands (like 35 times) and then I ran up the stairs to go and cry on my bed. SERIOUSLY! I cried for about half an hour while my dad was trying to convince me that what he had said wasn't true....which I'm really not sure that it still isn't true...where DOES dirt come from,anyway??

Leigh

When I was about 5 I accidentally swallowed a roly-poly bug (I was blowing on it with a straw and acidentally sucked in). Months later I was ill and in the hospital and I overheard the doctors saying I had a "bug" in my system. I was convinced the roly-poly was making me sick!

Alice

I used to believe that bumblebees were born in pinecones.

Anon

When I was a kid, the little "helicopter" leaves would come down from the trees, and they would scare me so much, because I thought they were dead bugs that could still fly.

No Flyin' For Me

When I was about 7, I would catch flies and put them in a set of plastic drawers I had. I would put a soda bottle top full of water and a few of my little toys in with them, figuring they would have a party or make a city. Of course, once they died the next day I always wondered what I did wrong. I'd try to give them new toys, but they never lived.

Cupcake

When I was about 7, I would sometimes find what I now would consider a "mutant" ladybug: black with orange spots, opposite to normal coloration, but otherwise just like a ladybug. Clearly, however, it was not a ladybug. It therefore had to be a "manbug".

Anon

When I was little, instead of realizing that anthills were made out on dug up dirt, I thought they were made out of sand. They looked light brown, like sand. Therefore, I actually thought the poor ants had to march down to the beach (which is REALLY far away from my house) and pick up a grain of sand, bring it back and repeat the process until the anthill was finished.

The Sandman

After many, many "say no to drugs" presentations in elementary schoo, I used to believe that ants could carry drugs into my nose while I slept. I kept the blankets up over my head when I slept to keep the drug-carrying ants away.

cmk

My Dad told his little brother when they were kids that Dragon flies were hellocopters for the ants to drive.They were ages 15 and 5 at the time or about that age.Years later like 30 we were at a family reunion and My Uncle said something about the ants driving like they were drunk.He belived that the ants drove dragon flies all those years.I had been born by this time and was about 14 years old so it was something he belived his whole life.

Kim

When I was little, I thought that bug spray would make bugs explode and disappear.

Anon

I thought bug spray/ fumigating didn't actually kill the bugs just smelled really bad so the bugs would leave. When I found out it does kill I thought it seemed really mean!

Anon

I thought a butterfly turns into a caterpillar instead of vice versa, and thought it would be better if they just stayed butterflies..

Demond

When I was 5,I got a poison ivy rash.When I got better I remembered the place where I got it.I caught a grasshopper.I took it to the place where the poision ivy was.I wanted to see if the grasshopper would get it also.I had to climb on an old log so as not to touch the poison ivy.I thought there was a fly by the old log.It was not.I was sitting on a bee's nest.Hundreds of bees came out.Needless to say I walked a half mile to the nearest house with bees on me everywhere.When I banged on the door the lady whom answered started swatting me with a dish towel.Soon my father heard the noise and came over with a garden hose.I spent a few days in the hospital.Had 75 stingers removed and the doctor said I had 100 more stings.Grasshoppers don't get poison ivy rash!!

David

I believed butterflies taste like butter

Anon

My mom told me that earthworms and even baby lizards love to enter human ears and build a nest inside where they lay eggs...till date I can never sleep with my ears uncovered...to my horror last year i woke up to find a little lizard smashed under my pillow...my fear is doubled now.

shamim

When I was younger I used to believe that worms had big cartoon hands and would pull you into the ground with them.

Jade

I used to think that if you broke a spider's web, that spider would come after you & seek retribution! I still feel a twinge of fear every time I walk into one - and I'm a 27-yr old, 6 ft 1 guy!

Spiderman