Yuck! These Gross, Scary Bugs Really Do Live At The Jersey Shore

It would be pretty accurate to say that after a period of time that includes a pandemic, a near-Earth asteroid, and a swarm of cicadas, the Jersey Shore has had enough to worry about, right? But hold on.

What if I told you that these cuddly sweet bugs with the endearing name Assassin Bug can be, and many times is, spotted right here in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. And that's not just me telling you

This information has been confirmed by the Rutgers University Department of Entomology. We were recently able to tell you that the Cicadas we are certain to be sharing the Jersey Shore with this summer are basically harmless to humans. Can we say the same about the Assassin bug?

The answer, and let's all breathe a sigh of relief together on this one is, yes...but..there's always a but. The yes is yes they don't prey on humans. The but is if you bother them, they can and will use their strong beak to repeatedly stab at you, leaving the unsuspecting human with some extremely painful bites.

The Assassin Bug mainly preys on other insects, so if you see one in your garden, it's probably a good thing, but don't get too close. Remember the whole strong stabbing beak thing we talked about?

In fact, there are several Assassin Bug species common all over New Jersey, according to George Hamilton, Extension Specialist in Pest Management & Chair, Dept. of Entomology at Rutgers University, but kissing bugs are not in the Garden State yet.

You can read more about the Assassin Bug at Insect Identification.

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