It’s that time of year again when the temperatures rise, the pollen floats around, and the Alabama insects come out to play. I have already caught about two dozen different bugs on my desk and carried them outside, from moths, pincher bugs, stink bugs, and even a green walking stick.
But this morning I helped relocate a bug I’ve never seen, and hope to never see again. It looked like a slim roach but had a long tail that it curled up over its body and thrust forward just like a scorpion would do. I’m not sure if it was an actual stinger, but I didn’t take a chance and used an envelope to carry him out.
There are about six huge brown spiders that build beautiful webs around my back deck. They come back every year and set up shop in the same places. I don’t bother them and they don’t bother me. Besides, I figure they take care of a lot of the flying insects for me, which is good since I don’t like to kill anything.
Notice I said that I don’t like to kill anything. It doesn’t mean I won’t. Mosquitoes, for example, do not find favor with me at all. I came home right at dusk a few nights ago and they were dozens flying around my back door. I just read that Type O blood is their favorite, which is probably why they flock to me. I swat with no mercy.
I think having the woods right behind my house is the problem. Maybe some of you know the best way to get rid of them. I’ve heard that there are certain kinds of plants you can put out and it keeps them away, but I don’t know if that really works.
Bees are out in force, from those carpenter bees who love to bore holes in my deck, to several species of wasps, including those huge red ones, which love the plants in front of the Depot Museum. It makes life interesting since I’m allergic to those little suckers. I keep Benadryl handy.
Buster, my new dog who likes to jump the fence and roam the neighborhood, brought in two ticks the other day. There was one in each ear, those small ticks that can carry Lime disease. Luckily both were dead. I give my dogs those chewable things that are supposed to ward off ticks and fleas, but I guess they’re not 100 percent effective.
It’s just another one of those tradeoffs for living in God’s Country. We’ve got great scenery, great food, great communities, great football, great folks, but bugs and insects out the wazoo.