Last night after I left chat I muddled around doing various things. One of these tasks was I gave my mealies in my mealie farm some carrots. Now I have been around mealworms since I was in the womb. My family owned and operated a bait and tackle store since my father was a teenager. I was counting out mealworms from the time I could count and my Grandmother would pay us kids so we could have pocket money. So I have been around mealies for over 45 years. And last night I wasn't digging in them or anything. I placed carrots in the plastic drawers which is my farm. I did not wash my hands afterwards as I would soon regret. I went to check HHC and my e-mail one last time before heading to bed. While on the computer my right eye began to itch and burn ferociously. Within two minutes I was in the shower drenching my eye in water and as the itching stopped my eye was almost swollen shut. Once at the emergency room the Doctor confirmed my suspicion. Something caused a massive allergic reaction in my right eye. Now I don't suffer from any type of allergies. No problems with pollen, hay fever or the like. It could have been anything but I really believe it must have been a small almost microscopic piece of mealworm frass. Mealworm frass is mealie poop. It is very small almost dust like. I can't prove it but it is the only irritant I was near. So as I put in steroidal eye drops for the next couple of days be warned; ALWAYS ALWAYS wash your hands after touching your mealies or container. I didn't touch my eye but I really believe somehow a piece got airborne and ended up in my eye. Frass is a huge irritant to any open mucous membrane. So play it safe and wash up.
