Insects
Ants in the Brain
Doctors looking for the cause of severe headaches and facial itching in a young child discover that ants have crawled in his ear and infested his brain.
Bedbug Infestations Blamed on Imported Clothes
Email rumor attributes America's bedbug "epidemic" on infested clothing, bedding, and towels imported from foreign countries for sale in the U.S.
Bedbug and Flea
Truth is in the details, somebody once said. Here's a summary of an insect-sized view on some intimate matters, in a fable from ancient India.
Copper Pennies and Bee Stings
Forwarded email claims that taping a copper penny over a bee sting (or hornet sting) will provide overnight relief from redness and swelling
Beetle Boy
Newspaper accounts of the ordeal of Chandan Goswami, a 13-year-old Indian boy who astounded physicians by urinating live beetles.
Listerine Mosquito Control
Forwarded email claims spraying an outside area with Listerine mouthwash repels and/or kills every mosquito in the vicinity
Formosan Termites Spread in Mulch from New Orleans
Email rumor warns that Formosan termites from the New Orleans area are being spread to different parts of the U.S. in cheap garden mulch made from Hurricane Katrina wood debris.
Tick Removal Tip
Text circulating online advocates using a glob of liquid soap on a cotton ball as an easy method of tick removal.