A pincher bug runs across your desk...
- Kimberly Winters
- Jul 9
- 3 min read
...3 minutes before you are scheduled to present to clients. You are already in the call but thankfully most attendees haven't joined. You tell your teammate you'll be right back as a pincher bug Is quickly making his way across your desk and you need to capture him and get him outside.
Thankfully, we have these trusty bug catchers here at home that allow me to safely and easily contain my new friend to bring him outside. I'm up against time though so JP comes In and accepts the handoff. He successfully takes the pincher outside and releases him back to the wild.
Years ago, I would NOT have been so calm as there was a time where I thought pincher bugs like to bite humans and that It would hurt If they did. The outcome would have been the same but I would have been very on edge during capture and handoff.
Why was I able to remain so calm this time? I had learned about pincher bugs! Turns out, I was totally wrong about pincher bugs seeking out humans and wanting to pinch and/or bite them! Who knew?! I'll tell you who...people who study bugs and anyone who decides to look this up on the Internet.
The look of a pincher bug can be quite unsettling, which Is why I chose a generic desk/office space as the main photo for this blog entry and not a photo of said bug. If you don't know what a pincher bug Is (or maybe they're called something else where you live), here you go:
Neat facts about pincher bugs:
They are pretty harmless to humans and pets, their pinchers are rarely used on humans and It Is even more rare that they break skin. They aren't venomous so on the off-chance you were pinched, just give that spot a good cleaning with some disinfecting soap.
The pinchers are used by males for courtship and to fight others males and the females use them to protect their babies
Which brings me to this cool fact: Pincher bugs are great moms! What I learned while researching is that most insects don't really hang around and care for their eggs but pincher bugs do. They stay close to their eggs, keeping them safe and clean. They will move them If the current location Is deemed unsafe and mom regularly grooms the eggs removing potentially harmful growths while also applying a chemical with anti-fungal properties to the surface of the eggs.
They live on every continent except Antartica, talk about adaptable!
The bug catcher we use has done wonders for reducing any nervousness around insects. You can capture bugs quickly and easily and you can look at them as you walk them outside your home! I've gotten an up close look at their little faces, their legs, some bugs are even fuzzy when you get up close! I'm always able to find something Interesting about them and many bugs are actually kinda cute! I remember the first time I saw a cave cricket In the bug catcher, the personality on his face was wonderful!
I'm not gatekeeping, here is the bug catcher. You can find this one and others like it easily on Amazon, which I have linked here. If you prefer not to shop there, I'm sure you can find this or one like it somewhere else.
Believe It or not, this is not the first blog post where this bug catcher gets a mention. Check out The Agreeable Tiger Moth for more bug fun!
How do you compassionately handle when you have an unexpected visitor? Do you have a bug catcher like this? Are you old school with a glass and napkin? Tell me in the comments!
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Hey, I'm Kimberly.
As a Vegan Educator and the creator behind this space, I spend my time covering all things vegan. My goal is to help you live your best vegan life.
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OMG look at that face! What a cutie! Who knew they made great moms too! 💚Thank you for sharing! I used to also freak out about bugs in the house. Especially spiders. Since being vegan, I have given more thought about who they are. They are just trying to live their best bug life doing their thing. I have a clear plastic cup and a piece of paper under the sink that I grab to catch the little critters in and then I set them free outside. It feels good freeing them outside instead of harming them. Once we take the time to understand them, they can be less scary.
What a handy tool to own. A bug catcher! Definitely I need to get one of those ! That bug looks like something I’ve also known referred to as an ear wig ?
Interesting. And interesting I have not heard of pincher bugs. Looks like he posed nicely for you though. Fear is funny thing. Glad you worked through it.