Comments on: Brother Scorpion, Sister Mosquito

By: Adoro te Devote

Adoro te Devote — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 19:32:00 +0000

OK, I gotta chime in on this. In MN, we don't have scorpions, but we have mosquitos that would carry small children away. And we have some large spiders (although thankfully not huntsman spiders, even though the horrors outside my door in the summer look a lot lik them).

I have two bushes outside my door, and the only reason I haven't ripped them out is because of the flowers that bloom on them in May and June (and once in October thanks to St. Therese).

This bush attracts HUGE funnel weaving spiders. I think they are grass spides...I hate spiders but I did some reasearch, sort of a "know thy enemy" sort of thing. They would cover my doorbell, and every morning I shuddered uncontrollably as I opened my front door wondering if they would have placed a funnel over the front door.

Last summer I found a spider spray, though, and sprayed the bushes, the side of the townhome I live in, the base, the thresholds, and the bases of the windows around the my entire home.

It was the first summer I didn't have those horrors, although my neihbors on either side of me still had webs all over their siding and under their eaves. And it was the first summer I got to hear the crickets.

I'd never before realized I hadn't heard the crickets...because the predators had eaten them all.

The stuff is called Ortho X or something like that. Got it at Home Depot but I've seen it at Target or Wal mart, too.

Thank God we don't have scorpions up here!

By: majellamom

majellamom — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 20:05:00 +0000

Well, you are making me feel much better about visiting my MILs house! After two visits in a row of seeing black widow spiders (she SWEARS they are a spider that tries to LOOK like black widows, and that the spot should be on the belly instead of on the back…I don’t stay anywhere near enough to any spider to identify!) and the fact that everyone around there has seen an unusually high number of rattlesnakes this year (AHHH!!!)

But the whole scorpion thing is making me feel a little better about spiders and snakes…though this whole discussion is freaking me out at least as much as a recent discussion about ticks on danielle bean’s site…

And totally unrelated, but I am asking for prayers for my mother, Donna Holmes, who was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Thank you!

By: Theocoid

Theocoid — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 16:21:00 +0000

Yeah, I have a story about a certain Brother Wasp from when I was around 7 years old. I took Sister Shirley’s story about St,. Francis quite literally. The wasp, unfortunately, did not.

By: Darwin

Darwin — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 15:35:00 +0000

I think that St. Francis is not what you need in this situation. Perhaps, instead, you need to fall back on the Albigensian Crusade and proclaim: “Kill them all and let God sort them out.”

Then call Brother Pest Control Man and you should be all set.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 10:46:00 +0000

“As the Texas summer begins and we are reminded once again that we are living in a climate inhospitable to human life, it becomes a little more difficult to live by St. Francis’ example.”

This echos muy sentiments as each Southeastern summer rolls around every year as well. All we can do is pray for y’all in Texas. At least its not Houston right?

By: Christine

Christine — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 16:34:00 +0000

Jeron,

The worst thing about the Brown Recluse thing is that I'm not sure what they look like. Every picture I've forced myself to look at shows the stupid things from the belly.

EXCUSE ME, I'M NOT PICKING UP A POTENTIALLY POISONOUS SPIDER TO LOOK AT ITS BELLY!!!

Also, telling me how big it is without showing me a picture of it next to something easily identifiable (a dime, perhaps?) DOES NOT HELP because I am also not going to get a ruler and measure the stupid thing! I will either get Hubby to crush it without mercy or I will get my vacuum cleaner and try to suck it into the dust bin. Then, if I'm not sure it's dead, the vacuum can sit in the garage until Hubby empties it. Just like with the ladybugs this past Spring.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 16:08:00 +0000

Luke 10:19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you.

Hmm…wonder if that means I can stomp on a scorpion and expect it not to sting me? *lol*

Ugh, all this bug talk is freaking me out!! Fortunately, we haven’t seen any scorpions at my house…*crossing fingers.* Just big ugly roaches and spiders of various shapes and sizes. I’m not sure I could handle scorpions…blech.

By: Jeron

Jeron — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 15:50:00 +0000

Scorpions?! Oh, the hell with that!!! Grab a boot & go to town! I scream like a little girl at the sight of a small spider (much less at a brown recluse – one which tried biting me in the bathroom 3 years ago; I’m still traumatized).
And I’ve been to Texas a couple of times. One of those visits was for 4 weeks of field training (the ROTC officer candidate version of boot camp) in San Antonio. To this day I distinctly recall the feeling of fire ants swarming up my arms as I was doing push-ups in the sand. Jen, you have my sympathies.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 15:25:00 +0000

I live in central Texas too. This morning at 2am my son woke me to complain that Brother Tarantula was threatening him.

My investigation revealed a large brown fuzzy thing on the floor with more legs than I could count at that hour. I picked him up with a towel and threw him out the window. (The tarantula, not the boy, though I was tempted.)

I am told these critters are beneficial because they eat mosquitos. I would be happier if they would dine outside the house, though.

By: Catholic Mom

Catholic Mom — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 12:40:00 +0000

In Genesis, God did command Adam to subdue the earth so I would say squishing a scorpion or swatting mosquito just goes with the subduing. At the moment, I am trying to subdue a long-eared cotton-tailed varmint who thinks my garden is his smorgasbord.