They say everything is bigger in Texas...and they ain't kiddin'. I came across one of these bad boys, or rather girls, I guess I should say, walking rather quickly along the stone ledge at the back of my property. She was an inch to an inch a half long and as bright as the picture. After jumping back a couple feet and trying not to scream like the big sissy I am, I watched her scurry along and finally go down the wall and disappear in the creek bed below. Then I went inside (carefully closing the door behind me as I debated whether or not I needed to wedge a kleenex in the slight gap I have at the bottom of my back door) and immediately googled "bright red spider" to find out what kind of poisonous creature I was dealing with. After several unsuccessful hits about a red spider mite (way too small), I broadened my search to "bright red bug." And THAT is when I discovered that there is something called a Red Velvet Ant. Only it's not an ant--it's a wasp, and the ones you can actually see are the wingless females. They feed on other bees and wasps, so I guess I won't kill her if I run across her (unless she is actually in my house-then all bets are off). Oh yeah, the best part? Her nickname is the Cow Killer, b/c apparently her sting hurts so bad it could kill a cow. How's that for a welcome to the neighborhood?
They say everything is bigger in Texas...and they ain't kiddin'. I came across one of these bad boys, or rather girls, I guess I should say, walking rather quickly along the stone ledge at the back of my property. She was an inch to an inch a half long and as bright as the picture. After jumping back a couple feet and trying not to scream like the big sissy I am, I watched her scurry along and finally go down the wall and disappear in the creek bed below. Then I went inside (carefully closing the door behind me as I debated whether or not I needed to wedge a kleenex in the slight gap I have at the bottom of my back door) and immediately googled "bright red spider" to find out what kind of poisonous creature I was dealing with. After several unsuccessful hits about a red spider mite (way too small), I broadened my search to "bright red bug." And THAT is when I discovered that there is something called a Red Velvet Ant. Only it's not an ant--it's a wasp, and the ones you can actually see are the wingless females. They feed on other bees and wasps, so I guess I won't kill her if I run across her (unless she is actually in my house-then all bets are off). Oh yeah, the best part? Her nickname is the Cow Killer, b/c apparently her sting hurts so bad it could kill a cow. How's that for a welcome to the neighborhood?
1 comment:
Ewwwww!!!! That is one ugly and scary neighbor.
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