Beware! This Huge Bug is Called The Texas Toe Biter

TV Station KXAN in Austin, Texas is reporting that this thing is real and it lives in the waterways of not just Texas, but all over the United States. They call it, the "Texas Toe Biter." Just what I needed today, something to give me a severe case of the willies!

This disgusting insect critter, better known as a Giant Water Bug, as mentioned above, is not limited to the Great State of Texas, you can find them scattered all over the US.

Giant Water Bugs are primarily found in creeks and ponds, and are approximately 1.5 inches long, but can grow up to 4 inches in length, and we have about 10 different varieties here in Texas. Did you get the shivers yet?

Growing up in Houston, I know these bugs way better than I would like, see my personal story below.

Giant water bug - top view - Canva

Here It Comes!

The KXAN report says they have piercing-sucking mouthparts and front legs that latch onto their prey to draw them into the aforementioned piercing-sucking parts.

These creatures can be found in creeks and ponds, mostly in slow-moving water areas, but yes, they can be found on land as well, and even in your house if they live in your area.

Giant water bug - bottom view - Canva

The nightmare continues...

Oh, did I mention that the adults can FLY? Oh yes, they can!

The Good News:

Okay, there's not really any "good news," but the not-so-bad news is they don't carry disease. Whew...

So, when they bite you, or if they bite you, all you have to worry about is the pain, not getting the plague. Why is this not making me feel better?

Giant Water Bug - on the move - Canva

Personal Story:

As a young man growing up in Houston, we encountered these creatures often. One night while blissfully sleeping in my bed I felt something tickle my foot, which brought me slightly out of my slumber. It was at that moment of being almost awake, that this thing ran up the inside of my leg, and I kid you not, I went from lying on my back to standing straight up in bed in a split second! There I proceeded to do the "get-it-off-of-me" dance and that's when I saw the giant water bug dropping from my inner thigh to the bed below and scurrying for cover as I tried to kill it. As I recall, it got away that time. The encounter left me with some emotional scars as you can imagine. I'll be ok, but just in case you were wondering if it's the horrible traffic that has kept me from moving back to Houston all these years, think again.

Jim says NO - JimWeaver

As a proud Texan, I love my state, of that there is no doubt. I'm not going to say it's perfect, but you learn to take the good with the bad.

Giant Water Bug... BAD.

And some people want us to eat these! See the picture above.

See Inside Jimmy Buffett's Staggering $6.9 Million Palm Beach Mansion

Jimmy Buffett sure knew how to live the good life. His former 3-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom, 4,039-square-foot mansion in the exclusive Eden Properties neighborhood in Palm Beach is exactly the kind of laid-back home you'd expect the superstar to relax in when he was off the road.

The interior centers around a combined dining and living room with eye-popping vaulted ceilings topped off by skylights, while a massive wall of mahogany-framed sliding glass doors looks out over the pool area outside. The kitchen is decorated in gleaming white, and each of the bedrooms has its own attached bathroom, while the massive master suite also has sliding glass doors that open to both the pool and a bathroom that looks like it belongs in a high-end resort.

The exterior of the house is just as striking, centered around a sparkling pool of deep cobalt blue. The pool area features plenty of lounging, and a loggia just outside the living room offers open-air dining. There are lush gardens, brick paths that walk through elaborate pergolas and a fountain. The property also features a two-car garage with a guest suite overhead, and it offers deeded access to the beach nearby.

Most popular grocery stores in America

The most popular grocery stores in America, from corporate chains to family-owned enterprises. Stacker ranked them using consumer ratings sourced from YouGov polls.