A couple very annoying insects.

[Pat Thielen]

Hey everyone. So, of course I had to post these -- You can thank me later. One is a portrait of Gus the bedbug and the other is his friend Gary the human body louse. A better pair of friends can scarce be found! But not so much for you and me.

They were both taken at a total magnification of 40x; Gus was taken using dark-field lighting with an eight image focus stack and Gary was photographed using brightfield (I think) with a stack of eleven images). Both were photographed from slides bought from Triarch, Inc. in Ripon, Wisconsin.

While extremely annoying, Gus isn't known to spread disease to humans (with the exception of insomnia). Gary, on the other hand, is a very bad customer and is known to spread things such as Typhus, trench fever and other things. He really is a crab!

As always, let me know what you think. This stacking thing is certainly turning out to work quite well!

[McConkey]

I would agree!! Your stacking is turning out exceptionally well! Gary looks incredible! Great detail throughout and awesome colour! Having dealt with the likes of Gus before I refuse to compliment him no matter how detailed he is!!

[Pat Thielen]

I would agree!! Your stacking is turning out exceptionally well! Gary looks incredible! Great detail throughout and awesome colour! Having dealt with the likes of Gus before I refuse to compliment him no matter how detailed he is!!

Agreed! Gus' tribe is NOT welcome anywhere near me. Sadly, I know a couple people who have had to deal with them. I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy; they really are that bad! I did have an encounter with them at a motel in Ohio a few years back. I got home with this rash all over my upper back and had really no idea what it was. I was able to see it in the mirror and I could see bites upon bites on the welts. I thank the gods I didn't bring them back with me! The room had a strange smell; it has been described as rotting raspberries which seems to be fairly accurate. I just assumed it was a cleaning product of some sort -- Turned out it was quite the opposite. If ever you get a motel room that smells off go somewhere else! And you can easily find them if you look; just use your smart phone light and look under the mattress and on the wall behind the bed. I do this check whenever I check into a motel now.

[McConkey]

Avoid motels in Ohio! aha good to know! Never heard of the rotting raspberry tactic before thats really good to know! Thanks!

[Francisco]

Very nice!

[vasselle]

Very nice

[Hobbyst46]

Avoid motels in Ohio! aha good to know!

What verdict...

May I declare that not long ago I stayed in a decent motel in Ohio (50-70 USD daily rate, depending on season), on several winter and summer weekly or longer vacations, and it was clean and comfortable and reliable and respectable, not a single sign of a bug.

Moreover, I once read that the ghastly blood-sucking insects prefer and multiply in 5-Star and other luxury hotels.

[Pat Thielen]

Avoid motels in Ohio! aha good to know!

What verdict...

May I declare that not long ago I stayed in a decent motel in Ohio (50-70 USD daily rate, depending on season), on several winter and summer weekly or longer vacations, and it was clean and comfortable and reliable and respectable, not a single sign of a bug.

Moreover, I once read that the ghastly blood-sucking insects prefer and multiply in 5-Star and other luxury hotels.

Quite right -- Obviously not all motels have them and even within a motel one room might have them and another room won't. I think my problem was I stayed at a motel that was a bit over $100.00 -- I wish I had driven to the next exit where they were more reasonably priced and likely free of bugs!

[Pat Thielen]

Very nice

Thanks!

[Pat Thielen]

Avoid motels in Ohio! aha good to know! Never heard of the rotting raspberry tactic before thats really good to know! Thanks!

I wish I had known of it before -- I had no idea and I had never encountered them before. Live and learn!

[Pat Thielen]

I would agree!! Your stacking is turning out exceptionally well! Gary looks incredible! Great detail throughout and awesome colour! Having dealt with the likes of Gus before I refuse to compliment him no matter how detailed he is!!

Thanks Karl!

[billbillt]

Thanks for posting... I have never seen either of them..

BillT

[Pat Thielen]

Thanks for posting... I have never seen either of them..

BillT

And with any luck you never will again!

[Jonnyvine]

Nice