Critters

Some are BIG and some are small

Some can fly while others crawl

Some look cute and sort of snuggly

Others are huge and gross and Ugly 

What am I talking about? Well bugs of course! And they are here in abundance in Wendell. 

Now, anyone who has known me since childhood probably also knows that bugs don't scare me. In fact, there are certain bugs I kind of like. All that being said there is one bug that since I moved here I have learned I REALLY will not tolerate. Most of you are probably thinking, "It's gotta be spiders. Bridgette can't stand spiders." While that is true, you would be wrong. There is one bug that now tops the list. And that bug is. . . Drum roll please (Just imagine it in your heads.) . . . The fly.

Yup! The common housefly. Musca domestica. 

Photo courtesy of: entnemdept.ufl.edu

Just look at it with its' beady little eyes and it's hairy, germ infested body. DISGUSTING!

Since living in Wendell I've learned that these nasty creatures are everywhere. Everybody has to deal with them. The further you get out into the country, a.k.a. where we live, the worse the problem gets. On our first day in our new house the door was left open for quite some time, allowing a mass quantity of these to get in. Carlos and I, being city folk didn't come prepared for such an infestation. So, that night, armed with shoebox lids as weapons, Carlos and I did battle with the filthy demons. I probably killed between 30 or 40 flies that night. There were still quite a few around the next morning. That Monday I was determined to rid my new home of these germy monsters. So, while out shopping, I purchased three fly strips to hang around the house. Waste of money! A month later and not one fly has landed on my fly strips. I should probably take them down. People may think I have them up there for decoration.

Anyway, we did purchase two fly swatters as well. These have proved to be, as the Pokemon trainers say, "super effective." Whoever invented the fly swatter should win the Nobel Prize. I don't know why they work so much better than anything else, but I am grateful they do. Since getting a fly swatter I have become a fly killing ninja! I have developed my own special technique for destroying the suckers. One thing that makes me more vengeful than perhaps anything else is finding two flies mating. "You think you're going to make more of yourselves in my home!? I don't think so. . . Thwap!" They are the easiest to kill at these times. Slower. Plus you get two for one. The other day I found two in my bathroom in the throws of passion. I killed them in the act, and didn't feel one bit bad about it.

Okay, enough of my ranting about flies. I will say one more thing though. We've managed to get the fly situation under control, but they still get in. I would estimate I kill 10 to 20 flies each day.

Now it's time to talk about spiders! Anyone who has read my past Facebook statuses knows that I am not a fan of spiders. I rather hate them. The difference between spiders and flies for me is I'm scared being bit by spiders. Flies just annoy the crap out of me. Both of them gross me out. 

However, since moving to Wendell I have developed a new appreciation for spiders. They kill flies! There was one who had built a lovely web in the window by the bathroom. He had caught several flies and I was very pleased. But then one day I saw the spider himself, and it creeped me out, so I killed him. Maybe that was a little rash, but I really do hate spiders. Fortunately, I have seen very few spiders here, but the ones I have seen have been BIG. My first spider encounter happened the other morning when I found one in my bath tub. Not okay. I killed him with the foot of Carlos' shower chair. I will avoid killing spiders with toilet paper or anything else where I can feel their body squishing between  my fingers at all costs. *shudder*

Okay, here is a picture story. See if you can figure out what's going on.

Okay. Did you figure it out? First off that's my sister's friend, Cassie. They came and visited us a few days after we moved in. Cassie looked up at the light in our living room and said "Oh, you've got like a spider egg sac up there." I quickly declared "Finders keepers!" and made her take care of it. Turns out it wasn't a spider egg sac. It was an actual spider. But it was already dead. I think it crawled up there, made itself a little tomb, and died. Anyway, it still grossed me out. Carlos, Sarah and I were all huddling in corners. Props to you Cassie for being so brave. :)

Not all bugs here are creepy and gross. Some are actually quite adorable. See for yourself.

See! Cute! We like these little guys :)

Finally, there's this thing.

Do you know what it is? I figured it out.

Time for a blog post challenge!

Tell me what you think this weird bug is. The first person to get it right gets glory, and honor, a virtual high five, and a shout out on my next blog post. Let the guessing begin!