27 July 2006

Creepy Crawlies


In the past couple of days, I've become slightly addicted to a website called "What's That Bug?" All sorts of interesting creepy critters there. I'm generally a big fan of little creatures. I was delighted to find this praying mantis on my lemon verbena yesterday. Isn't she cute? I was beyond thrilled to spot a tiny little lizard scurrying across my patio the other morning (too fast to get a picture, alas). I'm quite tolerant of the assorted spiders that find their way into the house. I welcome bees to my garden--even the Humungo Bees that zoom impossibly around like small helicopters. I've even pretty much overcome getting freaked out when I spot a black widow hanging around. But there are a few creatures I can't stand: the zillions of ants who are always trying to move in with us, the icky little pantry beetle things that just appeared in Ruthie's cookie jar, and the individual yellowjacket that stung me in the leg last week for no reason at all. Oh, and they're not creepy, but I've come to intensely dislike the pigeons that have moved onto my roof and are crapping all over my roof, windwows, and patio.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wait! I have a solution for the pigeons. You're gonna laugh, but I swear it works:

Vicks Vaporub.

Rub the stuff on the window housing (outside) near where the dirty flying rats are hanging out. They'll vacate fast.

Phyllis said...

Hah! Now I'm picturing hubby climbing all over the second floor windows, giant vat of Vicks in his hands. As if the neighbors don't already think we're strange. :-) Seriously though, if any more of the little buggers move in, we might give it a try.

Knatolee said...

I am VERY proud of you for your tolerance of bugs!! I am highly bug-tolerant and people think I'm nuts. But they all have a place in the chain of life, and frankly, I find them all fascinating, particularly spiders.

That said, I promptly kill mosquitoes, fleas and cockroaches. (Not that we have a roach problem!)

Phyllis said...

I'm with you on mosquitoes (West Nile is here), fleas, and roaches. Way back in grad school I had an apt that had roaches. Ewwww. And you should see some of the roaches my gradnparents had in their apt in the Bronx!

Most crawlies, well, they're living things, too, and I hate to kill things for no reason. I actually even feel guilty about the ants, but I have no choice unless I want them all over my house. And I agree, spiders are especially fascinating, although I think mantises are my fave bug.