Comments on: Yes, there is something living in there

Yes, there is something living in there

dersins — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:05:51 -0800

Ms. Serrao wanted to remove the wriggling, chewing larva as soon as possible, but she also realized that the botfly in her head presented a unique opportunity for a nature photographer. As a result, she videotaped herself and the efforts by her surprisingly stoic husband, Greg Hiemenz, to remove the worm-like creature. A Vacation Bug That Keeps Biting. With, of course, video.

By: dersins

dersins — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:08:18 -0800

[Botflies previously on Metafilter.]

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:09:54 -0800

DO NOT WANT.

By: Divine_Wino

Divine_Wino — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:11:04 -0800

NO!

By: ardgedee

ardgedee — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:11:51 -0800

Is there bacon?

By: gwint

gwint — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:11:56 -0800

Really? You looked at Metafilter and thought "Needs more botfly"?

By: mullingitover

mullingitover — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:11:57 -0800

wat

By: kmz

kmz — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:12:10 -0800

Radiolab segment.

By: orrnyereg

orrnyereg — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:12:40 -0800

Scarred for life now, thanks. Is removing botflies generally covered by the marriage vows, I wonder?

By: ardgedee

ardgedee — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:13:23 -0800

If this post linked to footage of bacon chewing a hole through your head, you'd be favoriting the heck out of it.

By: bigmusic

bigmusic — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:13:24 -0800

Her mixture of disgust and fascination is the feature here - not the botfly itself.

By: Joe Beese

Joe Beese — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:14:06 -0800

Metafilter: mixture of disgust and fascination is the feature here

By: EmpressCallipygos

EmpressCallipygos — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:14:32 -0800

With, of course, video . ....How many people do you think are really going to watch that?....

By: marxchivist

marxchivist — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:14:55 -0800

Based on your history here dersins, I am more than confident this is a fine post. Knowing that, I just won't click on any of the linkys and get back to work. ciao!

By: dersins

dersins — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:15:59 -0800

Really? You looked at Metafilter and thought "Needs more botfly"? Oh, come on-- like you haven't.

By: idiopath

idiopath — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:18:28 -0800

Fascination and disgust, exactly. It was satisfying to watch, appealing to that same atavistic grooming instinct that makes one want to remove a piece of lint from someone else's sweater or get them to pop their pimples. It just feels right to watch another human remove a parasite.

By: misha

misha — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:18:30 -0800

I can't click on the links. I just keep reading this post in horror. Things. Chewing. Inside. Head. Now I find myself in this internal debate: can it possibly be worse than I *imagine* it is?

By: timeo danaos

timeo danaos — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:21:40 -0800

I'm just going to be U.S.-centric here: U R SICK AND WRONG TO POST THIS AT LUNCH TIME

By: klanawa

klanawa — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:22:09 -0800

I was dissapointed when her husband didn't immediately eat it.

By: Devils Rancher

Devils Rancher — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:22:36 -0800

I know cavers that have returned from tropical climes with Botflies. I didn't witness any of the extractions, but their campfire stories are the best of the best.

By: doctor_negative

doctor_negative — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:24:05 -0800

There are some links I'm smart enough not to click.

By: kalessin

kalessin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:24:53 -0800

I'm not going to flag this out of pure reflexive revulsion, but I'm tempted. When I saw this link in Sensible Erection many days ago, I did not immediately think, "Hey! I finally have an FPP-worthy topic for Metafilter." I have to say though that it does surprise me that this is posted here. It just doesn't seem like the kind of post I'd expect on Metafilter.

By: elder18

elder18 — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:25:38 -0800

This is why I enjoy living in Wyoming. The only freaky parasites we have here are meth addicts. And Republicans. Lots of Republicans.

By: Durn Bronzefist

Durn Bronzefist — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:27:32 -0800

I AM TRYING TO EAT SOME POUTINE HERE

By: adipocere

adipocere — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:28:51 -0800

That was a goodly dollop of bloodless pus liberated along with the critter, which was surprisingly unsquirmy. In case you need more hot botfly action ... Some people eat them.

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:29:55 -0800

Her mixture of disgust and fascination is the feature here - not the botfly itself. That was indeed the best part of this (since there have been dozens of botfly vids on YouTube for awhile now). She's clearly a child of the video age, with her insistence on proper documentation and shot composition, and that impulse vies for control over the innate revulsion of a maggot in her head. There's some kind of lesson in there about learned versus inborn responses.

By: diogenes

diogenes — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:34:16 -0800

What a cool couple. After he tells her that puss oozed out after he removed the maggot, her first question was whether or not the puss was in the frame!

By: Go Banana

Go Banana — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:34:16 -0800

Once you see something, you can never unsee it. No link-clicking for me.

By: diogenes

diogenes — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:35:45 -0800

They guy in the RadioLab segment is more hardcore though. He actually left it in there until the fly emerged naturally.

By: St. Alia of the Bunnies

St. Alia of the Bunnies — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:39:14 -0800

It wasn't THAT bad.

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:43:51 -0800

It wasn't THAT bad. Well, it wasn't THAT bad to look at, but the squeamishness factor that comes into play here is that THERE IS A MAGGOT BORING A HOLE INTO YOUR SCALP BY EATING IT. Have you no empathetic reaction to that? It's certainly less visually disgusting than the majority of the zit popping vids on YouTube, but again there's more to it than just the visual.

By: orville sash

orville sash — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:44:57 -0800

....How many people do you think are really going to watch that?.... *sheepishly raises hand* That was extreme. Seriously. But I couldn't look away.

By: hurdy gurdy girl

hurdy gurdy girl — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:47:26 -0800

>It just feels right to watch another human remove a parasite. You've got the pair of tweezers To remove the botfly You've got the look of horror in your eyes And I had a crazy parasite Till you pulled it out It took a little time But you pulled it out When the botfly goes in I'm the first to admit it I'm the first to admit it And the last one to know When the botfly comes out Well it's likely to lose me It's apt to confuse me It's such an unusual sight Oh, I can't, I can't get used to something so right Something so right [with many apologies to Paul Simon]

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:48:03 -0800

What joy!

By: peachfuzz

peachfuzz — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:49:33 -0800

He's all like, "OMG, I can see it!" And she says, "Oh my god, oh my god!...Should we get a tripod? Oh my god!" And then she's horrified by the pus and wondering if it's in the frame at the same time. It's authentic in spite of itself. All that said, it really is horrible. It's so BIG when it comes out. AUGH!

By: dersins

dersins — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:50:09 -0800

Well, it wasn't THAT bad to look at, but the squeamishness factor that comes into play here is that THERE IS A MAGGOT BORING A HOLE INTO YOUR SCALP BY EATING IT. Yeah, the part in the article that really got to me was where it kept her up at night:

The doctor needed to study up on how to remove the larvae, so Ms. Serrao went home but had difficulty sleeping. "I was really aware of every time it would move," said Ms. Serrao, a former producer for the Discovery Channel. "It did wake me up from sleep at 3 a.m. I heard it crunching."

Um. Ick.

By: jamaro

jamaro — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:50:17 -0800

I was OK with this up to the point where she saves it (with its little belly chockful of nature photographer flesh) in a baby food jar. Jebus, throw that shit away.

By: Theta States

Theta States — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:56:43 -0800

Oh these pop up all the time around the internet. Thank you, youtube!

By: grobstein

grobstein — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:03:09 -0800

"There's something alive in here." "That's your imagination, kid." THINK ABOUT IT

By: JeffK

JeffK — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:05:59 -0800

I am never visiting South America. Ever.

By: jacquilynne

jacquilynne — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:06:26 -0800

I haven't even clicked the link and it's already giving me nightmares. NSFW is clearly insufficient for these purposes. Is there some kind of NSFA (Not Safe For Anywhere) designation that could be put on top of posts where even the text is horrifying?

By: peep

peep — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:07:21 -0800

Oh hell yes I watched that. It was gross, but like, not as gross as that keratin-hand guy post from a few years ago. The video was actually sort of satisfying.

By: lyam

lyam — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:12:28 -0800

Yeah, I watched it. No, it wasn't so bad. Satisfying in the way popping a zit is satisfying.

By: 235w103

235w103 — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:14:18 -0800

I told the receptionist at my job about this video when I first saw it, last week. Later on that day, I noticed a new Post-It stuck by her monitor. It reads "NEVER GO TO BELIZE!!!!'

By: hanoixan

hanoixan — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:14:43 -0800

When the pus squirted out in the end, it reminded me of the gore makeup from Dead Alive/Brain Dead. Awesome video, and thanks for sharing.

By: rusty

rusty — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:17:26 -0800

Once you see something, you can never unsee it. I came here to mention, in fact, that now I will never be able to unsee that. Oh well. Sometimes it's useful to have a full set of memories that are grosser than anything you are likely to actually encounter. As a Dad, the gross tasks fall to me, and there is no refusing. "That was pretty gross, but not as gross as pullng a maggot out of someone's head..."

By: R. Mutt

R. Mutt — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:18:38 -0800

Twice, at the most squeamish moments, she flips into total photographer mode. Once near the beginning, when she says; "Oh, let's get the tripod!", and also at the very end; "Is it in frame?!".

By: PontifexPrimus

PontifexPrimus — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:18:47 -0800

I liked the video, but then I liked reading Parasite Rex. I'm not saying I'm rooting for the larva, but there is so much more going on than meets the eye - to be successful, the larva can't kill or harm its host, so they secrete antibiotics and painkillers to keep the irritation minimal. I also think the important lesson here is not that some parasites can slip through our defenses, but how few actually do, counting either species or actual cases (speaking of first-world countries, I know that parasitism thrives in less-developed environments).

By: keijo

keijo — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:21:05 -0800

This brings back fond memories of my own Costa Rican botfly from 5 years ago. I didn't know what it was before I put a band-aid on top of the "wound" on my tummy that just wouldn't heal but kept oozing puss and droplets of blood. After having his breathing hole obstructed for a while the little fellow wanted out. I suppose it's even nastier when it's eating away in your scalp and you can't see what's going on...

By: Drastic

Drastic — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:24:59 -0800

I'm reading Parasite Rex currently, and really enjoying it, in the gobsmacked sense of enjoyment. Biology classes back in school never really taught just how thoroughly parasites are woven through every level of the biosphere. Botfly larva removal is gross, sure, but at least it's quick. Guinea worm removal, on the other hand, involves slowly winding the several feet of them around a stick a little bit at a time, over the course of days. The choice is clear! (This message brought to you by the Botfly Council.)

By: timeo danaos

timeo danaos — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:25:37 -0800

I suppose it's even nastier when it's eating away in your scalp and you can't see what's going on... Nope. If what's going on is a botfly larva, I never, ever want to see what's going on.

By: bdc34

bdc34 — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:29:24 -0800

Check out that man's tweezer technique on the larva. I'm going to Belize this winter so this was rather interesting.

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:32:13 -0800

Guinea worm removal, on the other hand Man vs boy.

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:35:59 -0800

Is it better to have one big worm or dozens of tiny worms?

By: jokeefe

jokeefe — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:38:12 -0800

This particular video is a cut above voyeuristic squirmishness. It's more a teaching guide on the life cycle of the botfly, with a helpful demonstration about how to remove the larvae. I'd watch it twice!

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:41:23 -0800

with a helpful demonstration about how to remove the larvae. He really should have used broader-tipped forceps instead of tweezers. You don't want to inadvertently slice through the larvae with narrow tweezers while it's still inside.

By: past

past — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:49:13 -0800

I wish I was that lady's friend.

By: Joey Michaels

Joey Michaels — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:54:06 -0800

The Internet is the greatest thing ever.

By: Ratio

Ratio — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:56:18 -0800

KILL IT WITH FIRE

By: now i'm piste

now i'm piste — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:56:54 -0800

When she cut to 32 hours later and saw the two of them sitting facing the camera, I halfway was expecting them to speak in a monotone and praise the miracle of the botfly and how nothing hurts and it just wants to love and care for us.

By: Mr. Bad Example

Mr. Bad Example — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:57:17 -0800

Yeah, very much not watching the video. Just reading about it pretty much had me doing this.

By: not_on_display

not_on_display — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:11:03 -0800

MetaFilter: All night, I haven't been able to sleep because I swear I felt it, and heard it, even, chewing on my head

By: fiercecupcake

fiercecupcake — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:11:36 -0800

I'm never going to watch this video. The first time I met a friend of mine (the first time!), she regaled me over drinks with the story of her botfly from Belize. She fully recovered; I haven't yet.

By: digsrus

digsrus — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:13:46 -0800

Whenever I pull out a botfly I like to drop it in a shot of tequila and slam it.

By: iamkimiam

iamkimiam — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:15:48 -0800

Circle of life?

By: iamkimiam

iamkimiam — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:17:36 -0800

I'm curious. Is it possible for these things to multiply in your head (or wherever)? Or is it, one bot per bite type deal?

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:22:25 -0800

Is it possible for these things to multiply in your head (or wherever)? Or is it, one bot per bite type deal? One fly per customer, thankfully.

By: vorfeed

vorfeed — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:27:28 -0800

I'm curious. Is it possible for these things to multiply in your head (or wherever)? Or is it, one bot per bite type deal? It's one bot per bite. As the lady pointed out in the video, when the larva reaches the pupal stage, it falls out on its own. Then it completes the pupal stage in soil, emerges as a fly, and lays eggs of its own...

By: The White Hat

The White Hat — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:33:27 -0800

A similar video, by metafilter's own bergeycm.

By: shoesietart

shoesietart — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:39:41 -0800

That was gross, disgusting and fascinating. I've always wanted to go to Belize but this lessens my desire tenfold. So I guess Off doesn't repel these mosquitos? Although no one puts Off in their hair. And there is no way I could have slept with that thing munching in my head.

By: quin

quin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:41:45 -0800

...but she also realized that the botfly in her head presented a unique opportunity for a nature photographer... When her husband tells her he can see the larva she screams, "Oh my god!" and then adds, "Maybe we'll get a tripod." I seriously love these people. It's completely horrific, but I can totally see having this same conversation with my wife; "Holy shit, that's disgusting, fuck get it out of me... but make sure you get a good photo of it, and keep it in focus!" Also, as far as I'm concerned, whenever someone tells you that God loves us, all you need to do to prove them wrong is point to the existence of botflies.

By: anthill

anthill — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:47:37 -0800

All things dull and ugly, all creatures short and bot?(fly?)

By: jokeefe

jokeefe — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:49:22 -0800

I feel I must say something in Belize's defence, here. I have a friend who lives in San Ignacio (she own/runs the movie theatre, and this site is her first draft of one to help promote tourism in the town). It's a great place, lots of scenery, ruins, art, and perfectly nice jungle critters that are not disgusting parasites. There are reasonably priced tours of the local attractions, and all sorts of good accommodation. Visit beautiful San Ignacio on your next vacation! NOTE: She has never had a botfly, honest. Not even a small one.

By: jokeefe

jokeefe — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:50:42 -0800

Though her dog might have. And there's that crime rate thing. But what the hell, you don't want life to be boring, do you?

By: davejay

davejay — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:36:34 -0800

I will never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never ever click that link Never.

By: jaffacakerhubarb

jaffacakerhubarb — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:58:45 -0800

No way in heaven, hell or anywhere inbetween am I clicking this link. Has anyone here read The Wasp Factory by Ian Banks? There's a particular part of that book that I can remember more vividly that any movie I've ever seen and though I doubt the link can rival it in the putridity stakes, I'd rather not find out.

By: evening

evening — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:36:45 -0800

That botfly larva was bigger than I thought it would be. Ew ew ew. But I did enjoy her thoroughness video-wise (amateur or semi-pro videographer?).

By: quin

quin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:36:46 -0800

Hey davejay, you should totally check out this awesome video I found of cute little puppies frolicking happily in field. It's really sweet.

By: invitapriore

invitapriore — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:09:37 -0800

Yeah, I guess the larva's resistance had less to do with its teeth than the fact that it was much wider than the hole her husband was trying to pull it through.

By: everichon

everichon — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:14:13 -0800

Dear Mother Nature, What the fuck is wrong with you? Seriously. Sincerely, Curious in Ashland

By: quin

quin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:03:26 -0800

Dear Curious, Everything makes a lot more sense when you start realizing that, for better or worse, you are just food. Love, Mom.

By: ErikaB

ErikaB — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:08:02 -0800

I will not click the link, nor read any of the comments here. I just wanted to report that I've skipped past this story several times on the main page today, and every time I find myself scratching my scalp with a gesture that is really more like "scrubbing with the fingertips" than "a gentle scratch." Just, you know. FYI.

By: emperor.seamus

emperor.seamus — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:13:05 -0800

I tried to watch it, because I like nature and I'm usually okay about shit like this. Then about ten seconds in I decided that I didn't have to watch it and no one could make me watch it so I shut that mofo down. I feel hugely relieved about my decision.

By: COBRA!

COBRA! — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:19:45 -0800

Pro tip: Image search for botfly provides some stills that are way worse than anything in tht video, at least to me. One word: eyes.

By: MaryDellamorte

MaryDellamorte — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:22:29 -0800

I liked it, it was different than the other botfly extraction videos I've seen and I think I've seen them all on youtube. Call me crazy, but I want to remove a botfly from someone's head!

By: Edgewise

Edgewise — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:30:48 -0800

It's really not that bad, people.

By: St. Alia of the Bunnies

St. Alia of the Bunnies — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:46:46 -0800

Dang, what a bunch of weenies-it wasn't that bad!

By: Ron Thanagar

Ron Thanagar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:55:03 -0800

Hey, it's not like some critter replaced her tongue or something.

By: Skygazer

Skygazer — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:00:13 -0800

That was strangely satisfying. Sorta like exploding an atomic pimple. Anyhow, when someone's willing to pull the botfly maggot pupae out your head, that is some true love right there.....

By: smcameron

smcameron — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:14:47 -0800

I read somewhere, I think in a book by Tim Cahill, (though I don't remember which one, maybe "Jaguars Ripped My Flesh") of the "meat cure" for the botfly larva. The botfly larva has a kind of snorkel which it uses to breathe, which protrudes slightly above the surface of the skin. You place a piece of raw meat over the snorkel, pressing it down firmly to make an airtight seal. The larva can't breathe, so it will burrow upwards into the meat. When its snorkel protrudes from the surface of the meat, throw the meat (and the botfly larva it contains) away, and you're cured. (and that's my first comment on metafilter, having been lurking here since, I think, 1998, maybe 1999.)

By: Space Kitty

Space Kitty — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:41:08 -0800

It just feels right to watch another human remove a parasite. No offense, idiopath - but that's the wrongest wrong that anyone has ever wronged in the history wrong things going badly wrong in wrongville. Wrong.

By: smcameron

smcameron — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:47:13 -0800

I think this is the story I was thinking of: Jerry's maggot Although I think I read it in some anthology of "jungle stories," rather than in "Tropical Nature," and it may have been a retelling of the story, as the way it's told doesn't seem quite familiar to me, but the ending is the same, down to the baseball park, so it's the same story.

By: idiopath

idiopath — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:51:09 -0800

Space Kitty: "Wrong." It doesn't make your mouth water a little bit to watch the bug get picked off? It is an instinctual response. The parasite is disgusting, of course, but the act of removing it is blissful to witness. Similar with pimples or boils or blisters. Or else I am a weird nasty freak. That is kind of believable now that I put it that way.

By: MaryDellamorte

MaryDellamorte — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:55:05 -0800

Idiotpath, I'm right there with you. It's this weird fascination I have.

By: Skygazer

Skygazer — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:00:55 -0800

Fuckin' A Burhanistan. The Botfly is a civilized hygenic genius of an organism compared to this gross out. EWW!!!

By: Space Kitty

Space Kitty — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:07:58 -0800

... Mouth? Water? *kermit arms* AaaaaaaAaaaaAaAaaagghhh!!!! dear god no, idiopath, that would involve 1) acknowledging the damn creature actually exists and - worse yet - 2) watching the video.

By: voltairemodern

voltairemodern — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:12:34 -0800

So here's a question. The stuff that came out after the botfly was removed -- looked like pus, but I wasn't sure -- what was that from? Does the human body respond to the botfly's presence by surrounding it with pus? Or was it generated by the larva?

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:14:55 -0800

The stuff that came out after the botfly was removed -- looked like pus, but I wasn't sure -- what was that from? That is the gravy.

By: DreamerFi

DreamerFi — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:59:46 -0800

This proves Intelligent Design, right?

By: Jimmy Havok

Jimmy Havok — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:09:24 -0800

Ugh...now I got the crazy bugs.

By: The White Hat

The White Hat — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:54:20 -0800

HURF DURF BOTFLY BREEDERS?

By: vorfeed

vorfeed — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:59:12 -0800

The stuff that came out after the botfly was removed -- looked like pus, but I wasn't sure -- what was that from? Does the human body respond to the botfly's presence by surrounding it with pus? Or was it generated by the larva? It's pus. Pus is a common immune reaction to just about any foreign body. For example, if you get a deep splinter, often it'll get surrounded by a similar layer of pus, which works its way out when the splinter does. Same deal with the larva.

By: idiopath

idiopath — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:07:55 -0800

voltairemodern: "Does the human body respond to the botfly's presence by surrounding it with pus?" T-cells respond to foreign proteins, if I understand correctly. These foreign proteins can be on a bacterium, a parasite, or a donor organ, or (in the case of a breakdown of what "foreign" means) a part of your own body. T-cells building up and attacking one place then leaving behind their dead cells = pus buildup. Or so my half remembered highschool AP biology memories from over a decade ago tell me. The wikipedia page for pus seems to mostly back up this theory. Of particular interest is the explanation there of green, blue, pink, and brown colored pus.

By: A Terrible Llama

A Terrible Llama — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 03:09:36 -0800

I needed to fill an open slot in my upcoming nightmare schedule, so this is great.

By: A Terrible Llama

A Terrible Llama — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 03:12:38 -0800

I've always wanted to go to Belize but this lessens my desire tenfold. That thing lessens my desire to leave the house.

By: Severian

Severian — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:25:02 -0800

Lest we all forget this... the Bot Fly in question is fully known as Dermatobia hominis which has specifically evolved to lay its young ONLY ON HUMANS. Forever proving that there are some species of life that must be eradicated. If only to prevent successive generations of Human Bot Fly from eventually getting larger than their hosts and wiping us all out in an orgy of sub-cutaneous noming.

By: hurdy gurdy girl

hurdy gurdy girl — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:54:47 -0800

>The wikipedia page for pus seems to mostly back up this theory. Of particular interest is the explanation there of green, blue, pink, and brown colored pus. There is just so much wrong with those two sentences.

By: runningwithscissors

runningwithscissors — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:09:27 -0800

I'm with St. Alia of the Bunnies -- it was no big deal. Her "total photographer mode" that keeps getting mentioned really ruined it for me. I mean, you're getting a bug pulled out of your scalp and you're told there's pus, and you're youtube famewhore-y enough to ask if it's in the frame? That was the gross part, to me. Also, the photos of pjern's brown recluse bite wounds are WAY worse.

By: sneebler

sneebler — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 08:57:32 -0800

"That is the gravy." Burhanistan wins!!