Thursday, June 12, 2014

Bugs, Bugs, Bugs (and Trained Attack Babies)


This house has not been lived in for about two years.

Strike that. This house has not had humans living in it for about two years. It has, however, gained and maintained a healthy population of bugs. We have glue traps out and we’re squishing whatever we see, but I can’t say how much it actually helps. (Again, I don’t like killing things, but a near infestation is a problem.) The occasional roach seems to get in through the vents. Little beetles are coming in because the back/front door doesn’t seal all the way at the base. Mosquitoes have found holes in a screen door. Ants have a little passageway in the sliding door. There may be bees in one wall. Carpet beetles have a number of entryways, unfortunately, but at least they’re kind of delicate. And most of the rest of the bugs come in when I forget to turn off the inside light when the outside light is on and the door is open.

I remember Grandma and Grandpa used to have a bug zapper. I think I saw at least part of it the other day. We may need to see if it can be revived or just get a new one. At least for the outside door. Darn moths and June bugs.

Agatha, by the way, worries me. She puts a lot of things in her mouth. And she’s dangerously quick.

One day, she was sitting on the floor of the bathroom while I was putting in my contacts. And I see, out of the corner of my eye, a roach run into the bathroom from the hallway. But before I can react, Agatha has already reached out to grab the racing roach, causing it to roll onto its back. And this kind can’t flip back over very easily.

So I just stand and stare for a couple seconds before I grab a huge hunk of toilet paper, pick up the flipped roach, and flush it.

I could be proud that Agatha has such good reflexes and dexterity that she can nearly grab a cockroach running at full speed. But I choose to be concerned. What if she had gotten that thing in her hand? What was her plan? Actually, I choose to be concerned and just a little grossed out at what could have happened next. Ew.

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