5 Creepy Crawly Costumes You Won’t See This Halloween

Halloween is a holiday cherished by children everywhere. It’s a night of candy, carving pumpkins, and of course, dressing up in costumes. Ghouls and goblins are often too gruesome for the younger set, and so parents often dress them up in cutesy costumes, like ladybugs or butterflies. But there are some bugs we doubt will make it trick-or-treating this year. Here is our top five list of the creepiest bugs you probably won’t see this Halloween.

Our Top Five Creepiest Crawlers

5. The Huntsman Spider

There are many species of Huntsman spiders, and they can be found almost everywhere—Asia, Australia, the Americas, and the Mediterranean Basin. These creatures don’t spin webs to catch their prey. Instead, they hunt and forage for food. They are incredibly fast and primarily eat insects, but can sometimes eat amphibians like skinks or geckos. They have a “cling” reflex, so they can be very difficult to shake off if they bite. Also, some males in Laos can have up to a 12-inch leg span. Don’t worry too much—their venom does not affect humans, but seeing one on Halloween night might make you lose your appetite for sugary snacks.

4. Earwigs

Earwigs get their name because people used to think that they could crawl in people’s ears as they slept, and once inside, burrow down into their grey matter. Lucky for us, this is not the case. Earwigs have impressive claw-like forceps, which are straight on females and more pincer-like on the males. These are tools used by earwigs for protection and to capture food. While they may make bobbing for apples easier, your child would scare ghosts away with an Earwig getup.

3. Brahmin-Moth Caterpillar

Not a lot is known about these eerie caterpillars beyond looking like something invented by a horror film director. We do know that they are totally harmless, and turn into rather attractive moths. It is believed by some experts that their curlicue spindles allow them to blend in better with twigs and branches, but a costume of this fellow would certainly make your kid stand out.

2. The German Cockroach

The German cockroach is a busy insect, frequently moving from one location to another and passing through little openings. They are often transported in common items such as beverage cartons, grocery bags, food cans, food packages, handbags, and the folds of clothing. If a concentration of German cockroaches exists, such as in a restaurant or an apartment (yes, these are places you eat), they produce a distinct, nasty odor. These disease-carriers leave their dead skin lying around and can give people food poisoning, upset stomachs, and even diarrhea. Too much candy can give you an upset tummy, but these guys will really make you rue the day you encountered their brethren.

1. The Bot Fly

Botflies are gross. The flies themselves seem pretty harmless, but they have a tendency to lay their eggs where you least expect it. These eggs hatch into maggots, which embed in the fresh flesh of a mammal and they feed. Some bot flies feed on horses, others prefer a nice leg of lamb. Of course, the human bot fly likes to munch on you.

Mama bot fly will lay its eggs on an insect that will likely land on a human. Once the mosquito or housefly lands on someone, the eggs rub off and the heat of their body hatches the eggs. Then the maggots burrow, and…you get the idea. Don’t dress your little guy like a bot fly…or a bot fly larva.

Contact Florida Pest Experts

To learn more about these creepy crawler and other icky pests, visit our pest guide. Hughes Exterminators offers pest control, wildlife control and other services to protect your home and family from unwanted pests this fall. Hughes is a family owned and operated company that goes Beyond the Call® to protect your home and your loved ones.

For a free, no-obligation whole home evaluation, click here to complete a form or call us at 877-464-8443.