Tuesday 7 July 2015

Of insects

Adrian takes - and posts - wonderful photos of insects. He seems to love them all. I, on the other hand do not love them all, but I do respect them. When I see a tiny storm fly, and think there's a minute heart beating inside it, I am full of admiration. For clever as we are, no-one has yet managed to make anything so miraculous.

But. There are some insects I am willing to destroy.

1. Wasps. When I just happen to meet one, that's fine, but when I see a child almost eating one on his sandwich, it's time for action.

2. Houseflies. Outside the house, that's fine. But indoors, crawling over food (and I know where those dirty little feet have been), or buzzing round the bedroom (I have a horrible fantasy of one falling into my mouth while I'm asleep), then a quick swat. I was once given this useful hint: always swat a fly from the front, as they can't take off backwards. Trust me. This works.

3. Clothes moths. I wouldn't  mind so much if these ate a complete garment. I might even forget I'd ever had that gament in the first place. But oh no. They have to indulge in a kind of taster menu, taking one bite out of every garment in the drawer. This is greedy and selfish, and punishable by death.

However, I rescue many, including the following:

1.  Spiders. I hoover up their belongings and escort them outside. We have a lot of those anorexic spindly ones, with untidy webs, and they  make a lot of mess.

2. Daddy long legs. These seem to me the be the most useless of insects. They dance about randomly, using up energy and leaving their legs all over the window sill. In fact, I'm not sure why they have legs at all. Their children - leather jackets - are most unattractive. Daddy long legs don't eat, but I suppose they have sex of some kind because of the children (see above). These are easy to scoop up in one hand and throw out of the nearest window.

3. Moths and butterflies (obviously).

4. Anything small and crawly that's come in with me from the garden.

18 comments:

  1. I can see you succumbing to the wonderful world of insects. They are best kept outside the van but sometimes they do escape.
    Thanks for the plug.

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    1. PS. I don't have television so one of the highlights of the year is seeing an unobservant child swallow a wasp. Even the dogs know not to eat wasps and bees. It's part of growing up, like not poking lions in the ear with sticks with 'Orses 'ead 'andles.

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    2. My interest in insects will never rival yours, Adrian. But I do respect all forms of life, even tho I may eat some of them (not insects. Well not intentionally).

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  2. At this time of year I'm constantly rescuing all sorts of insects from the pool. Whilst swimming up and down I just lift them out and place them on the side. So far they have respected my heroism, and I have yet to be stung; even the wasps I've saved have been appreciative.

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  3. Bumble bees, butterflies and spiders in the bath - I am kind to all. I talk to them when I am getting them out of a pickle, but they don't pay the least attention.

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    1. W don't get spiders in the bath here, Henry. Maybe Devizes spiders prefer showers?

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  4. Insects outside are a lot better than insects inside.

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  5. Bluebottles are easy to catch as they hover around the window. If I cant let them out I place a piece of kitchen roll in the palm of my hand, and scoop them up nice and cleanly. Then I crush them to death. Wasps turn me into a waving lunatic, but they have to go.

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    1. Maggie, people who flap when they see a wasp are invariably the ones who get stung. Stay calm and swat!

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  6. When it comes to spiders, they spook me only if they run at me unexpectedly. When they just sit quietly somewhere and I can see them, I remain very calm and take a glass and a postcard (I have a glass specifically put aside for that purpose), catch it and throw it out of the window.
    When one comes running at me, I'm afraid I sometimes do not manage to stay cool but - more out of reflex than of reason - I stomp on it and kill it.
    Wasps: I am allergic and avoid them as much as possible.
    Flies: same as you, Frances.
    Most other insects: not my favourite animals but most of the time I hope for them to find the way out. They managed to find the way in, after all, didn't they.
    Outdoors: that's where they belong, and where I am the intruder. So I am careful not to intrude too much.

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  7. The only thing I will never rescue is a mosquito!

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  8. Spiders are lovely. I've read there can be 20 different species in the average UK home and they keep the fly population down. So try and keep them in the house.

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    1. But some do bite, Keith! No. I do leave them, but remove the webs. Sadly, they are very fast spinners (sounds like cricket).

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  9. Wasps I kill. Most other things I rescue and eject. Well most of the time anyway. If they annoy me too much when I'm trying to sleep or whatever then they are likely to meet an unfortunate end.

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