Entomophobia or Why Writing a Blog is Worse than Spotting a Cockroach
The fear of pests is called entomophobia. There are other, more specific, phobias such as arachnophobia (the fear of spiders) but I think, generally, people who experience this anxiety will not quibble about particulars. It’s enough to know that the beast hurtling at you is small and wily, determined to wreak all manner of havoc on your much larger world. I, happily, do not experience this particular fear. Still, I sympathize with those who deplore bugs.Consider the cockroach. It is a particularly nasty invader with an alarming aptitude for resisting even the fiercest assaults. They say that cockroaches will survive a nuclear disaster. I cannot quarrel with that presumption though it would be a very grim world. Cockroaches are generally prolific, with American Cockroaches most commonly found in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Commercial kitchens may encounter German Cockroaches as stowaways, arriving on boxes of produce. Once inside, these Trojan-Horse-Insects rapidly populate.
These are not endearing creatures and you can hardly be faulted for recoiling in horror when confronted. And you are not alone. For ages, mankind has had good reason to fear pests, knowing that they spread diseases like the Black Death (a heartening name) and mayhem (like crop failures and famine). In fact, the term “bogeyman” derives from the Middle English “bogge/bugge” which of course is the origin of the word “bug”.
Instead of this very common fear I instead cultivate a social media phobia clearly not shared by the majority of the world. So you might imagine my concern when at last we resolved to enter the world of blogs and Facebook. I say all of this in the hopes that you will relinquish your fear of insects into Home Paramount’s capable hands. Call us if you need us. And I will place this blog heavily into your hands, in the hope that you will read it with an entirely charitable mind and post kind comments.