BuGgEd

I know this blog is about horses, but lately it seems I've been having more experience with another type of critter. BUGS!

It seems like every time I turn around there's something else that needs to be "taken care of". I admit, I don't kill all bugs. Even though I won't touch them, and certainly don't want them touching me, I still make a huge effort to corral them and to put them back outside. I do murder nasty bugs though, i.e. Mosquito's, gnats, fleas, black flies (any fly that eats poop and then buzzes around my house) and any other type of parasitic bug. I don't murder Spiders - they are still scary though. Gosh, isn't this an interesting post?

Anyway, as I was saying, BUGS are everywhere this year. I've caught several Jumping Spiders (I know what they are because I googled them) around the house and even in my bedroom - ewww-ewww, and one on my bed. Yesterday as I was walking in from my back deck, I opened up the door and something big and black zoomed in past my right shoulder. It kind of flapped back and forth as it tumbled crazily to the floor. Thinking it was a big black fly, I made a valiant effort to shoo it out the door, but to no avail. I looked to the floor only to discover it was yet another Jumping Spider. She had dangled herself just in front of the door, and when I opened it the breeze blew her in - yikes! After a frantic battle, I won by getting her out the door where apparently, she didn't want to be. They also pop out of my spigots outside when I turn them on - that's fine though, as it's outdoors where they belong.

Yesterday, I was stalked by a Moth. It slithered out of my flowers as I was watering them and then it flopped around in front of my face for what seemed like eons. I don't like those soft bodied things - yuck!

The worst though, is when I saw a black dot on the scruff of my little Miniature Pinscher Madigan. I saw the dot and when I moved in for a closer look, it disappeared into the depths of her fur. FLEAS!!!!!!! Growing up with cats and dogs out in the country, I know exactly how to handle those little buggers. But first, I had to check out Daisy, my cat. She has been enjoying the sunshine out in our fenced backyard, and I just knew that she was the culprit. I caught her, then pinned her to the couch to investigate. As I parted her thick coat, she began purring -

"Meeeooow - prrrrprrrr---mmmmmprrrrrrprrrrrr...." Daisy said, as she twisted and pulled to get her belly inspected.

Ugh, cats!

Turns out, Daisy had fleas too.

I called my husband to tell him to pick up some Advantage on his way home from work. $100.00 later, and both animals are Flea free. Poor Daisy will have to enjoy the sun through the windows this summer - no-more-Fleas!!!! Of course now my skin has been crawling ever since my discovery - yuck!

Don't even get me started on the Mosquitoes - they are terrible! It's been a rainy few weeks here in Michigan, and the 'Skeeters are lovin' it!

The scariest bug on my list though, is a Centipede. Oh horror of horrors! The other evening, while at my parent's house, I spied a colorful Centipede making it's way across the basement bathroom. Those are so horrifying to me that I don't have the guts to even approach them. They are like Aliens or creatures from another dimension - oh - my - gosh! Apparently, if you smoosh them (according to my friend, Kim), they disintegrate. I do NOT want to see that!

*shudder*

Last but not least, the poor horses! Last weekend I tossed Sid outside for only about a half hour. When I brought him in, he was so welted up from bug bites it looked as though he had been out for days! Ugh!! Michigan doesn't have huge scary bugs like Scorpions or gigantic tarantula type spiders, but what we do have we have in abundance!