Flying insects are hard not to hate. Maybe with the exception of lighting bugs or dragonflies, people’s attitude toward flying insects is largely hostile. This is understandable given the vast amount of picnics that have been ruined by stinging insects over the course of history. Of course, picnic enthusiasts are not the only group of people who have developed a strong dislike for flying insects. Sports fans, for example, have surely watched at least one game that had been interrupted by flying insects. Around a decade ago, midges descended upon a pitcher during a match between the Yankees and the Indians, and just recently, a swarm of flying insects descended upon a World Cup match at Volgograd Arena. These insect interruptions are no doubt infuriating to fans, especially when the bugs are negatively affecting their team’s performance. A recent tennis match saw one player bombarded with flying insects mid-game. Unfortunately, this insect attack may have cost the player the big game.
The tennis star Caroline Wozniacki may have lost her recent match against Ekaterina Makarova of Russia due to a swarm of flying ants. The swarm of winged ants seemed to have a particular liking for Wozniacki, as her opponent during the match remained free from bug problems. In fact, the swarming ants did not seem to be bothering anybody present at the time except for Wozniacki. Wozniacki could be heard complaining to the umpire about the swarm. At one point the tennis star said, “Can you do something? I am here to play tennis, not eat bugs.” Wozniacki reportedly uttered this after a few of the winged ants landed within her mouth. Eventually, out of frustration, the tennis star stormed toward her bag on the sidelines and pulled out insect repellent. Wozniacki also asked the umpire if the game could be suspended due to the insects, but the answer was “no”. Not surprisingly, Wozniacki was eliminated from Wimbledon after losing the game.
Did you see clips of the insect swarm at the recent Wimbledon game?
