Nature loves to play her tricks on us. This summer she had fun with all sorts of bugs.
I notice the grasshoppers because Momo, the fierce hunter, brings me one or two a day that he gently carries into the house in his mouth. Once inside, he promptly drops them. The springy creatures immediately hop for the nearest inaccessible spot, where they remain just out of reach. Sometime during the night they must venture out because I find their legless bodies scattered on the living room carpet.
Sugar ants regularly marched in formation across my kitchen cabinets and onto the stove looking for the tiniest glob of mayo my poor eyesight missed. I am sure they would carry the knife back to their nest if they had enough numbers to do so. I finally solved that problem by liberally sprinkling Borax along their entrance. Every now and then a real trooper makes it past the poison only to meet their demise under my killer thumb.
Mosquitoes buzz about looking for their next blood donation but lack of standing water in the yard keeps the population low.
Houseflies find easy entrance through the open sliding glass door that I leave open for my boys to enjoy some outdoor time. The flies and boys come and go as they please. I keep my house cold enough that the flies tend to hang around the window where the outside heat warms the pane. Once or twice a day that window becomes a killing field. I am the Babe Ruth of flyswatters.
I saw a couple of crickets and a moth or two, but the boys earn their keep with these varmints. Maybe they taste better than the others, who knows.
Fruitflies drive me batty. For some reason, this year their population exploded in my kitchen. I cleaned with vinegar, bleach, 409 and any other potion I read about or could think of to try. I made a trap with a pan and plastic wrap and baited it with canned cat food, diet DP and sugar. Not a one fell for the ruse.
I hate spiders and ordinarily I dispatch them with promptness. However, this year, spiders that hang out near the window can stay. I have noticed lots and lots of webs and entangled in these silken masterpieces: fruitflies, lots and lots of fruitflies.
I never thought I would say this, but spiders are my friends.
The fruitflies are out of control here in my apartment, and they like to come right into my face!! I've also tried stuff to get them out. I currently don't even have fruit!! They will eventually die out when the temps get cooler on a more consistent basis, but I'm not quite ready for summer to end yet. lol Hugs!!
ReplyDeleteBorax, huh? I'm going to have to look for that. I have ant problems, too.
ReplyDeleteCindy I chuckled when I read the portion of your post about the ants. I too have an ant problem (everyone has an ant problem) and this summer it prompted me to write a poem, which I'll share with you when I get home from work today. I chuckled because a couple of the phrases you used were so similar to what I wrote in the poem. I think you'll see what i mean.
ReplyDeleteHang in thete, Cindy. Don't let these bastards get you down.
Sonny Bohanan