Growing up in the country, our biggest indoor problem would be field mice that wandered inside. After moving to one of the more tropical parts of the country (I guess it is technically subtropical?), I encountered a whole new creature. The palmetto bug--a huge roach that lives outdoors, can run like the dickens, and flies. I remember eons ago seeing a movie with a best friend that was about killer roaches and never thought I'd see one that size in real life. Those thing are creepy. They come into the house every so often and drive you crazy. They skitter about and you can hear them at night. I've been watching tv and had one bonk me on the head as it flew by. They defy you to catch them. And if you happen to actually catch one and try to kill it, you have to beat it to death with sickening crunches. They are armored or something.
Last night, DD's kitty woke me up while stealthily creeping along my head. I could hear her make that chittering noise that she uses when she is stalking something. I thought it might be a geckoish thingy that gets in every once in a while, but then I froze. Did I have one of those roaches by my head? I know people don't really believe me, but I got bit one night by one of those things on the hand. I woke up in time to fling it off and it left a little hole in my thumb. Before I could react this time, the kitty pounced and ran off. Thinking she must have won, I went back to sleep. This morning I found the bug lying on its back dead as a doornail. It's not the first she's caught. She catches maybe one a month. I hardly ever see a live one anymore. I'm grateful to her. Sure, she attacks my leg or arm occasionally and sheds all over my dark stuff. But she gives us cuddles, purrs, laughter, and she kills big bugs. Don't have to pay extra for extermination. Gotta love her!
Bugged.....
June 3rd, 2007 at 05:13 pm
June 3rd, 2007 at 05:25 pm 1180887923
June 3rd, 2007 at 05:28 pm 1180888130
June 3rd, 2007 at 06:40 pm 1180892403
I went to highschool in the SC sandhills, and woke up one night finding several of them crawling down the wall towards my bed. GAHHHHH!!!!
June 3rd, 2007 at 08:13 pm 1180898001
June 4th, 2007 at 05:07 pm 1180973278
June 4th, 2007 at 07:41 pm 1180982492
June 4th, 2007 at 08:24 pm 1180985046
Insects down there are all "TEXAS" size. I could not believe how big dragon flies, and "walking sticks" grow!
We have a little cottage there, and I love to visit, but I don't miss the bugs when I go back home to Colorado!
June 4th, 2007 at 08:58 pm 1180987083
My advice: Get 10 more kitties.