On Bugs

Yesterday I said that no one likes bats. Today, I'll add that no one likes bugs. Even when we talk about bats and all their beneficial contributions that we humans should appreciate, these contributions usually begin and end with, "Well, they eat bugs. And nobody likes bugs."

A week or so ago, my classmate Kristin talked about Stink Bugs on her blog. I was surprised (and a little relieved in a weird sort of way) to know that I wasn't the only one in our class who 1) has been finding stink bugs in her home, or 2) is afraid to kill them because of their unfortunate name. Around the same time Kristin was writing this post, I discovered a stink bug lounging on my laptop when I came downstairs to work on schoolwork. My first line of defense, the indoor cat, was no help at all and just looked at the bug and started playing with my pencil sharpener. I ended up scooping up the bug on a piece of paper and running out to the driveway with it. There may have been some shrieking involved, but it's all a bit of a blur.

In general, I'm one of those weird people who doesn't like to kill anything, even stink bugs, without a really good reason for it. Am I going to eat the bug after I squish it? Good heavens, no. My usual M.O. involves scooping up and throwing out. The one time I ever played camp counselor, the girls in my cabin got a kick out of my extermination method for some cave crickets that had found their way onto one of the girls' beds. (Cover it with the trash can, slip paper between it and the bed, tape the paper to the trash can, run far from the cabin, and release. Process also involves shrieking.) Hey, the rest of the week was cricket-free so something went right.

On top of just not wanting to squish a bug, I also think said bug would have to be more useful outside of my house anyway. Out there are birds and plants (and bats!) who would benefit from an insect's presence in my yard. In the house, all we have are a couple of humans and the indoor cat, none of which need the bugs for our immediate survival. Share the wealth!

And so, I support insect repellents for inside your home. But not just any repellents. As I mentioned yesterday, bugs that have eaten insecticides are probably one of the major reasons for bat decline, and bees and birds aren't faring too well from it, either. There are little plug-in things for electrical outlets that send out a high-frequency wave thing that makes bugs just not want to come near. That's good repellent: no deaths or harmful chemicals involved.

Also, my mom has tried this herb cocktail that she says has helped keep the bugs out of the house. Once our herb garden begins to thrive this spring, I plan to take some cuttings and scatter them around my desk and see how I rate it. But if you want to try it yourself, this is what she uses:

• Pennyroyal
• Painted daisy (pyrethrum)
• Santolina
• Cedar
• Lavendar
• Peppermint
• Rue

All-natural ingredients, shouldn't hurt your housepets or kids, and smells a whole lot better than indoxacarb.

In short, I don't think it's asking too much to want the bugs to stay out of the house. I do think it's wise for bugs to be all over the place outside. But just in case they do get in, I don't want to kill them for the invasion. I just want them to think that, just maybe, it's a little more pleasant on the exterior side of the doorjamb.

Ja, Es ist doch windig.

I brought this up in our class discussion today, but it's such a potent part of the day that I feel compelled to post it on my blog, as well. The wind has been hurling through my region today like a freight train, and it's causing about equal destruction.

On Christmas Eve, after my dad's sudden heart attack and our subsequent phone calls to 911, the coroner, and the funeral director, my family went to bed and was surrounded by the same thundering wind that we've been getting today. That night, it ripped apart a trash bag at the end of our driveway and scattered all sorts of junk all over our neighborhood, which I spent Christmas morning walking up and down the hills to gather anew.

Today, the wind is ripping shingles off the roof of our garage, ripping open birdfeeders, sending bird nests from the trees reeling onto our deck, and making my indoor cat even crazier than she already is. (Every time a leaf blows past the window, she hurls herself at the window as though she can catch it. Poor thing; it's a wonder her nose isn't permanently flattened.)

I love wind, as a rule. I'm fascinated by a force made visible only by what it's affecting, made audible only by loose ends. But today, I wish it would be a little softer to me and my family. Dear wind, please try to at least leave half the shingles on our roof. And make sure to spin the windmills on your way down the valley. Thanks.