The damn bugs

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bugThe bugs were awful this year. It was too hot.

With the heat came mosquitoes. In the past I have been the last person on the “bite” list. It is like the bears. You don’t have outrun the bear, just one of the other people with you. This year I was promoted to tasty morsel #1. Lots and lots of bites. I didn’t get any diseases unless “cranky” has been promoted to a disease.

Ants started early. They came marching in. I escorted them out and threatened to kill the queen (if I could find her).

We had an assortment of locusts, wasps and bees. I am tolerant as long as they pollinate my tomatoes. They are not allowed to bite me because that is a trip for a steroid shot. That’s for me, not the bug.

Fruit flies were the worst. They multiplied like…well…fruit flies. We could have done genetic testing experiments considering how horny those flies were. I swear they did it in my beer.

There were gnats or no see-ums. Awful!

Then there was the tick. That was a post in itself. Click here if you missed it.

Our winter was mild and the naysayers and doomsday people said the bugs would be bad. I hate when they are right. I am one of those upbeat idiots who keeps thinking the glass is half full. (It was! With fruit flies!)

We are now into the invasion of the stink bugs and spiders who are looking for a warm place to winter. I left out brochures on Florida but they weren’t having any of that. I swear I saw them moving a futon into the garage along with a beer keg.

May this winter be cold enough to kill of their offspring but mild enough so I don’t need the travel brochures.beach1

 

 

47 thoughts on “The damn bugs”

  3. Not in your beer! Anywhere but your beer! Yes, I commiserate with you, it has been a buggy season. Maybe it’s a sign? The seven plagues before the end? Okay, now I’m creeping myself out! Did you know they are making weird mosquito clones that don’t bite. Or maybe I just dreamt that tidbit of news? (I have chronic lyme as a result of a tick bite and not being diagnosed for years, so sometimes my mind does funny things. )

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  4. Bugs were the worst ever this year! We don’t have the luxury of a big city spray program like we used to since we live in the country. I mostly stayed inside because the mosquitoes have always found me irresistible. Ticks were bad in spring and slowly became less of an issue. Now preparing for the attack of the ladybug imposters, Asian beetles. They are the bug version of The Birds. Usually happens after the first frost or several cold nights. Mostly when there are no more aphids to munch on. I am going to google horse chestnuts!

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  5. The one and only thing we have going for us here in California at the moment is a lack of humidity and I think its so dry that even our small insects went to someplace with more moisture! Mosquitos are kind of scary these days, so I wouldn’t mind avoiding them entirely! Winter will be here before you know it and your skin will get a rest. 🙂

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  8. We live within a three hour drive of the Zika outbreak, and I’ve been thinking about that every evening when I take a walk. I haven’t heard much about it lately (I guess hurricanes are more of a pressing issue), and I’m hoping this might mean it’s not as much of a problem now. I don’t wish a cold, icy winter for you, Kate, but I suppose if you get one it’ll be a good thing for next summer.

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    • We didn’t “get” Zika mosquitoes up here although there were a few cases contracted through travel. Perhaps the mosquito population is down from all the spraying. Hurricanes are getting more press these days.

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  13. I know that this is a folk remedy, but I have a friend who places horse chestnuts in strategic corners of her home to ward off spiders. It seems to work for her. Wishing you a pest–free winter!

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  15. Check out recent social media about the guy who survived two bear attacks. Kinda puts bugs in perspective and, no, he was trying very hard to avoid bears in what he was doing. I had more than my share of chigger bites (they prefer waistbands, panty lines and other warm moist areas) and wore lots of bug spray this summer. I’ll still take the bug bites over a bear standing on my back biting into my head.

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  18. The flies and insects and bugs all go absolutely insane at this time of year. I don’t understand it but it’s a fact. When I was teaching, every Year at this time we had 2 or 3 kids a day getting stung by a bee or wasp or hornet. I got stung myself one year.

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