Ugh, bugs! Unfortunately, I have gotten used to the sight of cockroaches. They are still a freaky sight, but more and more, I find myself interested in them---not in a loving way. For example, I wonder why some seem to move faster than others? And aren't they supposed to flee under the fridge when you turn on the lights in the morning? Because they don't. How come some fly? Why do they die on their backs (if not under my shoe)? Lastly, how on earth do they get in the house!
A few things I've learned about cockroaches:
- They die on their backs if you've recently had your house sprayed, because they twitch and lose control of their muscles so they can't get back on their legs.
- Apparently, cockroaches only need a space as wide as .5mm to get into wherever they want---that explains it!
- Rumor has it that the only use cockroaches MIGHT be to us is that if you apply their "juice" to a stinging wound, it will offer some relief. (But I'm guessing that's all psychological. I'll wait until I see results from a controlled study to buy into that.)
I've also learned this year that southern bug bites really are different from northern ones. These bugs are gutsy! Maybe it's just me, but in the North, I notice that when I get mosquito bites, I get numerous, little bites. Down here, however, these mosquitoes go to town in just one spot! I had a mosquito bite the other week that was easily four inches in diameter. (I begged my roommate to amputate my foot off to no avail.) I've polled ten other people about their bug bite experience, and they all concur. Maybe the mosquitoes have a swelling agent in their bite here?
Two more misc. bug observations:
- There's a species of slugs down here that bite, and they leave a gross slime trail all over our house (they follow their own trail to get out, hence you rarely see them) --- how do these guys get into the house!?
- Red ants are humanity's greatest enemy
I don't know how I'm going to maintain a level of sanity with so many bugs around. I'm fixin' to get me a bat house to eradicate some of the bugs in my buggy wolrd.
