Potato Bugs That Bug
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Potato Bug - or ?
When I was a kid, I would see lots of these bugs not really knowing what they were and where they came from. As kids, we said they came from outer space. All I know is they looked ugly.
I was out walking, after a heavy rain had occurred the day before, a saw a large group of these potato bugs on the side of the road, near the drain area. I am not sure if they got carried up in the rain and then came down later or what! Most of them were dead.
Today, as I do this study for my lens, the little guys don't look as creepy as I remember them. To find out that the other names for the bug is Jeruselum Crickets, well that kind of makes sense. They do have similar characteristics of a cricket. And, if indeed, they are related, maybe they can make a similar noise (read below). In any case, you will find out some very interesting facts about this ugly creature. But remember, each one was some mother's baby bug. All of God creatures have a purpose!
credit:Lee Hansen Graphics
Contents at a Glance
POTATO BUG - A COMMUNIST SCAPEGOAT
Tale of the Potato Bug
The United States was accused of dropping these bugs from the air. According to the story, another tactic we Americans used was to infestate as an American experiment in bacteriological warfare. It was reported by Berlin radio press that the American planes had been scattering potato bugs over not only Saxony, but also the states of Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Mecklenburg.
Find out the truth by reading more of the story: Potato Bug Story
This is Kind of Buggy!
Link Along With Us.
- Potato Bugs
- A site that is dedicated to all that the Potato Bug is.
- potatobug.com
- A domain that is up for purchase. Lots of links: bugs, insects, spiders, even the potato bug.
- Another Site to Bug You.
- Jeruselum crickets
- Exterminator
- Kill! Kill!, bugs that is.
- Books.Google
- jokes
- My Tractor Forum
- These appear to be real suggestions for getting rid of the potato bug.
- Waynes Word - BEETLES
- Narrative and pictures on all kinds of beetles, bugs, insects and more.
Real or Phony?
Do Bugs Cry?
From none other than John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath":
Joad plodded along, dragging his cloud of dust behind him. A little bit ahead he saw the arched stripe back of a potato bug, crawling slowly along through the dust, its legs working stiffly and jerkily. Joad stopped to watch it, and his shadow fell on the bug. Instantly the head snapped back and mandibles were opened. Joad picked it up and turned it over. It let out a cry like a hoarse baby child...
sound of the Potato Bug/Jerusalem Cricket
Does The Potato Bug Cry?
No, that is nonsense.
Tipi says:
What a hard question, I'll choose, "I don't know".
saideysmom says:
i really dnt knw,i remember being a lil girl n my brother scaring me about this thing witch by the way i had never seen before,lol ..yeah silly
so,if they r not venomous ,then u deffinetly wont die of laughter in case one dose get you,then NO,i dnt think they cry at all. by the way im hispanic,therefor all the crazy myths .....
blue22d says:
Hi Laraine, thanks for stopping by. They may rub their little legs together to make a sound because just about this "Does The Potato Bug Cry?" is a link to hear an actual recording of their sound. Give it a go. It is more of a thump.
LaraineRose says:
No, it is a myth, they do not cry like children, nor rub their legs together to make sounds
LaraineRose says:
No, it's a myth, they do not cry like children, nor rub their legs together to make sounds.
Yes, I have heard their cry.
JaguarJulie says:
It cries because all of the starch in its diet!
JaguarJulie says:
It cries because all of the starch in its diet!
spunkyduckling says:
I have heard them cry or the more appropriately make noises and sounds.
JanaMurray says:
I have seen a lot of cool bugs, but I've never heard of this little guy. Sounds like a little drummer. I didn't realize there were sound files on wikipedia :)
blue22d says:
Yes Margo, I believe that is so. Good to see you here.
“How do you make a tick laugh? You tickle him.”
Here he is, folks - the creepiest insect around!
He'll crawl under your covers without a sound.
With hard, spindly legs and a razor-sharp beak,
He'll make the strongest man's knees go weak.
He's called the Jerusalem Cricket, or the Potato Bug.
He may be in your shoe, your bed, or under the rug.
You just never know where the little guy will appear
But you can tell by all the people stampeding in fear.
The Dreaded Potato Bug
Story from www.dwave.net
WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID.
Potato BugsWhen we were kids, we were often sent to the field to pick potato bugs. There was no DDT to spray the potatoes with in those days, and there were always extra kids to send out for a chore like this. So we spent the day in the potato patch with our baking-powder cans. What a backbreaking job to go up and down the rows collecting potato bugs! When we complained about our backs hurting, we were told that we were too young to even have a back!
We had been promised some money to do this,- 1 penny for 100 bugs. So when we got home, and Mother wanted to pour boiling water over the bugs to kill them, we insisted that we count them first.
Lensmaster's note: I could not finish the fate of the bug here in this story. Contine here: potato bugs
photo credit: Disney
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?
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Tipi
May 12, 2011 @ 12:01 am | delete
- My Grandma would have said, "Everyone has to eat".
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spunkyduckling
Jan 9, 2010 @ 11:06 am | delete
- Thanks for sharing a few facts about these bugs. Seen them around and heard them too, but never knew they were called 'potato bugs'. Fun read..5* and I fave
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partybuzz
Nov 13, 2009 @ 8:59 am | delete
- Yes, I've seen those pesky potato bugs. Unique idea for a lens!
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spunkyduckling
Jan 9, 2010 @ 11:04 am | delete
- Must second you on that. Agree it is a unique idea.
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Pastiche
Oct 30, 2009 @ 7:44 am | delete
- Man those potato bugs are HUGE and CREEPY - perfect for Halloween! I've never run across one of these guys, but I have seen cicadas and their discarded shells around our yard. They make a real racket day and night in the summer time in eastern PA. Lensrolling to BUGS coloring ... 5*
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Potato Bugs on CafePress
Eke!
Optic Green Pbug T
"Look, it's green!" The potato bug guts when you step on it? "No, the shirt!"
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I Heart Pbugs Thong
Just like you'd see in Victoria's Secret only THERE'S A POTATO BUG ON YOUR CROTCH. Try 4 - you'll need them for business trips.
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Pbug Tile Coaster
Is there anything worse than beer bottle rings on your white-oak coffee table? Yeah, how about a potato bug gnawing his way up your urethra while you're trying to sleep?!
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5.99'
Film Director's Movie Cap
You've seen Spielberg, Lucas, Scorsese, and baldy-noggin Ron Howard wearing their movie caps on the set? Well, here's your chance to wear a piece of film history.
Price:
16.99'
FROM OUTER SPACE?
THIS WILL BUG YOU.
eBay Greats
SPRING POTATO BUG STRATA?
Yuck!
Everyone enjoys Spring, a season filled with warmer, sunnier days - perfect for weekend gatherings. What better way to celebrate Spring than over a relaxing Sunday brunch with family and friends? Spring Potato Bug Strata is the perfect dish for any seasonal gathering. This simple yet hearty dish layers spring vegetables, eggs and cheese between tender, sliced potato bugs. Serve with fresh squeezed orange juice and a crisp spring vegetable such as asparagus. With its easy preparation, Spring Potato Bug Strata allows plenty of time to entertain guests.
8 servings
Preparation Time: 30 Minutes
Cooking Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Ingredients:
No-stick cooking spray
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 medium leeks, thinly sliced
IS THIS FOR REAL???? Bug Strata
Potato Humor
Why didn't the mother potato want her daughter to marry the famous newscaster?
Because he was a commontater.
The Day of the Triffids
Be careful, there might be potato bugs in there.
The triffid is a highly venomous fictional plant species, the titular antagonist from John Wyndham's 1951 novel The Day of the Triffids and Simon Clark's 2001 sequel The Night of the Triffids. Triffids were also featured in the 1957 BBC radio dramatization of Wyndham's book, a considerably altered film adaptation which was produced in 1962, and in a more faithful 1981 television serial produced by the BBC. Since 1951, when The Day of the Triffids was first published, the word "triffid" has become a popular British English term used to describe large or menacing looking plants.
Credit: Wikipedia
by blue22d
Sandy Davison (Blue22d) here. I have been a Squidoo lover for over four years. My loves are granddaughters, nature, animals, antiques, collectibles, marbles,... more »
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