That’s Outrageous: 3 Stories About Creepy Crawlies That Will Give You Goosebumps

When human beings and creepy crawlies collide, it can make for some pretty strange news stories…

1 / 3
Honey dripping from a hospital ceiling
Photo: ShutterStock

Oh, Honey…

There are certain sights one expects to see during a trip to the hospital: nurses rushing down hallways, patients groaning in chairs. Honey dripping from the ceiling, however, isn’t one of them. But that’s exactly what people at Rookwood Hospital in Cardiff, Wales, witnessed in August 2016 after more than 100,000 bees made their home in the facility’s ceiling. The insects had been thriving there for about five years before staff noticed—trickling honey is hard to ignore—and had them removed.

Check out these Five Facts About Bees That Are Absolutely False!

2 / 3
This stag beetle is an artist
Photo: ShutterStock

The Beetle Goes On

Art can come from anywhere—even, apparently, from a beetle. That’s what 27-year-old Mandy Bryant discovered when, in July, she handed her pet stag beetle, Spike, a marker. Using his mandible, the bug, about the length of a finger, grabbed hold of the instrument and promptly started scribbling away. This creepy crawly has since continued with this creative outlet and has amassed more than 85,000 followers on social media. He recently sold his first piece to an unnamed buyer for $1,550 and now has two more up for auction. You won’t find a Matisse here—the works tend to be a series of abstract squiggles—but Jackson Pollock would be proud.

Not all bugs are foes, like these 7 Insects You Actually Want In Your Garden!

3 / 3
Chili covered grasshopper sundae
Photo: Shutterstock

Top That

At most restaurants, creepy crawlies in a customer’s food would lead to a comped bill and a visit from the health inspector. Not so at La Newyorkina, a New York City shop that has been hawking a sundae topped with chili-covered grasshoppers. The treat was inspired by owner Fany Gerson’s trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, where the insects are a common snack. The crunchy critters have proven popular with New York locals, too—Gerson says she goes through at least 100 bugs every weekend. Your move, Dairy Queen.

Want more wild tales? Read about  3 Times Critters Wound Up Where They Shouldn’t Be!

Reader's Digest Canada
Originally Published in Reader's Digest Canada

Newsletter Unit