ARGH.

[elainegrey]

Complaints follow.

So, the poison ivy that grows 70' up the trunks of a dozen plus yellow pines. Yeah, i should get rid of it, yeah i've had irritations from little starts where i weed whack and mow, but, you know, it's actually a good bird food. (Admittedly, that's part of the problem and why it spreads.)

And the ticks. Ticks are terrible vermin, vectors for awful illnesses. But they are manageable, and seasonal. Dress right, be vigilant, etc. Give the pets their flea and tick treatments. Keep the grass mown. And if we got Guinea hens or chickens, they'd hunt those ticks down.

The spiders. SHUDDER. I really don't like spiders. But something happens here as autumn hints at an arrival: blam, the big orb weavers really get going. And webs across the driveway and the doors... shudder. And there's one of these three inch long Carolina Writing Spiders in bold yellow and black with her gorgeous web out at the compost pile. Uuuuuggggghhhhhh. I give her very wide berth. She's been there DAYS. Then there are always the wolf spiders. I'm getting pretty ... calm in negotiating access with them. I swear one was observing me as i was planting in the garden, waiting to see if i was going to get too close. She scurried away another two foot with her egg sack. But the spiders are the enemy of my enemy. And birds eat them.

I don't mind the few black racers and other snakes i've seen. My understanding is black racers will take on copperheads, so they're on the list of allies. Christine is very distressed by snakes, but she's coming to terms with them just as i am coming to terms with spiders.

But now, now.... [much swearing] fire ants. At least they aren't the invasive South American fire ants, just native red stinging ants.

Comments

[seawasp]

Chickens will solve your bug problems.

[elainegrey]

Yes, i'm just not sure my household can remain emotionally detached from their little lives as prey critters. But they would also really help the soil fertility too.

The one thing i will NOT do is buy the rare breed chickens like my sister is planning. I like foxes and owls and raccoons but not enough to give them gourmet food.

Guinea hens are reportedly a little more wild than chickens and so have a little more sense of self preservation: that's how they got on the list.

[seawasp]

How do you mean "prey creatures"? You mean eating the chickens? We don't do that; we let them live (and lay eggs) until they die, then they get a burial. Or a cremation, possibly.

[elainegrey]

The chickens my family has had have fallen prey to owls, raccoons, and dogs. I'm pretty sure the dogs got the chickens on the loose, but other predators have broken into a number of chicken houses. We've a fox that travels through the yard, owls call at night, and a hawk spent last winter watching a brush pile. I assume that no matter how carefully we protect them, some will fall prey.

[annie_r]

I love the spiders. There have been a lot of mosquitoes lately, and I've caught a few in the house. I think since I'm taking the dog out so frequently they sneak in, but some large spiders have been hanging around the kitchen door, so I'm grateful for them. I had to rescue a wolf spider who got into the kitchen.

[elainegrey]

I try to be grateful to the spiders, but i am tired of running into webs. This morning i went out and just waved a golf club in front of me as i walked to the compost. The spiders are such amazing architects, but somehow these webs that are tens of feet from tree to house just seem like too much.

I'm sure there are mosquitoes about but i haven't really noticed them. More fire ants since the Terminex guy's visit, tho. Maybe i will get some birds in the spring.

[johnpalmer]

I do forgive myself for when-necessary web destruction by saying that I *am* part of nature, and therefore, natural selection - other spiders will not build webs where I can't avoid them, and thrive. (I don't kill spiders for making webs, but I have no hesitation in tearing down the webs if it seems necessary.)

[elainegrey]

I haven't felt guilty about the web destruction: i have a pretty strong aversion to spiders and flail around a bit when i hit a web. I think the web season is slowing down so i'm not waving a stick in front of me to knock down webs when i open the front door any more.

On the other hand, there are SO MANY INSECTS that i really want webs that don't seem designed to catch *me* to succeed. The web well above the side walk, spectacularly spread in a wide open space, is marvelous -- but i still move pretty quickly to get clear of the big spider just hanging out.