Bugs

One of the things I hate about the south is bugs. I grew up in Tennessee, where I'm certain that there were just as many bugs. But I seem to have completely forgotten all about them after living in Utah for 4 years, where it's either too cold or too hot to support the creepy crawly lifestyle. Most bugs I really don't mind too much, but there are a few in particular that I can't stand. Roaches are definitely at the top of the list. Gross. Coming in at a close second are these lovelys, which seem to think our home is their home.

Brad is trying to hold his finger up close to it, so you can see that it's just as long as his pinky, but if you get too close to them they run away, so that's as good as it gets.

Say hello to the House Centipede. Here are some more pictures from google, just so you get a good idea for what we're dealing with.

 Please pray that we never get one this size. I'd probably pass out then it would come eat me.

These little boogers could outrun a cheetah. No doubt about it. But how could they not be fast with all those legs? Ewww...I'm shuddering and nervously looking around my house while I'm writing this. The first glimpse I got of the House Centipede was right after we moved into our new apartment in the middle of May. One morning, while Brad was still sleeping (of course this would happen when no one was around to help me) I was sitting on our living room floor unpacking some boxes. All of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye I see what at the time looked like a monster running toward me. That's right, it was running toward me. These aren't your normal bugs who are more scared of you then you are of them. Oh no. They're brave. I quickly jumped up and yelled for Killer to get it (one of her favorite things to do is chase bugs and bark and bark until we kill them). Well, she scared it under a box. I told myself to breathe, I built up some courage, and pushed the box over. No centipede. Where had it gotten to in such a short time? Killer and I spent a few more minutes looking, but to no avail. When Brad woke up I told him all about this other-worldly bug that had almost attacked me. He thought I was over-exaggerating, and I can't blame him. These bugs do lend themselves to dramatic stories. Well, guess who was waiting for him on the wall right outside our bedroom door? My monster. Gasping from sheer surprise and quickly realizing I was not exaggerating, Brad got a paper towel and eventually killed the thing after it gave him a good run for his money. 

That was only the first of our many encounters with said monster. One afternoon I was sitting on the couch (most likely writing a blog post...HA!...not so likely), and I see one scurry across the wall in front of me. I run to grab a shoe (I'm not as brave as Brad, who trusts only a thin paper towel in between his hand and the bug). I come back to the bug only to see it bury itself in between the carpet and the baseboard. Once again, Killer and I diligently search for it. We give up (and I keep my bare feet off the floor). Next thing I know it's running for me. When I look at it, it quickly hides under a magazine laying on the floor. When it thinks I've relinquished my gaze it comes back out. I chase it around for a while and eventually squash it. Stealthy little things they are.

We've also killed several babies, who are just as stealthy and just as fast. Killer has gotten really good at catching them and injuring them enough so they can't run so fast and keeping them trapped in one spot until we can come finish it off. They always get flushed. I don't care that they're squished inside a paper towel. I just can't help imagining them crawling one after the other out of the trash can. Drowning is always my go-to with these bugs (and almost anything else I catch).

We also get some gnarly spiders and lots and lots of mosquitoes. Moths are puppy favorite. Since they can fly and never come down to her level, Killer has a grand ole time chasing them all around the house. Yesterday we had a lizard. Brad joked that we should have kept it and let it run around and eat all our other bugs. 

Now that the weather's cooling down I'm hoping the bugs are dying, and we'll get fewer and fewer greeting us on the inside. 

Love, Brad Courtney and the Bug Catcher