Surviving the country...

Six months ago, I moved from the city to the country.

Things were okay in the winter, but then spring came...

First, it was the Brown Recluse infestation. Then, it was the kudzu growing all over everything. Next, it was the rattlesnake in my driveway. After that, I had a family a rabbits in my yard. They were welcome; I enjoyed their company. Last week, I spotted my first coyote, up close and personal, running across the field adjacent to my house (those things run like the big dog-monsters in Ghost Busters...). The bunnies haven't been seen since.

That brings us to this week. A massive spider web has been across my door frame every single morning. Each day, I've knocked it down (some days, by accidentally walking through the damn thing). This morning, I knocked it down again. By the time I got home for lunch, it was back. Only this time, its maker was out in the open. A big, shiny Black Widow spider.

It's now a black and red smear on the brick. But I'm seriously freaked.

I miss the city.

jvc said:

Ahh, I love the country.

Ahh, I love the country in the winter, and the spring is just wonderful.


Are you nuts? Move away.

I couldn't read anymore. That was more than enough for me

Click to expand...

You see my problem! I'm actually over the Brown Recluse spiders. I see them all the time (but less than when my place was infested), and I've gotten used to them. They hide in their corners and leave me alone... but I do always shake out my clothes before putting them on.

LizaJane said:

I've had my share of black widows. Makes me think of moving to a New York penthouse.

Click to expand...

How do you deal with them? Is there a spray that works better than others?

I broke my Swiffer mop being the shit out of it. I wanted to make sure it was really dead...

regdog said:

Brown Recluse Black Widows

Click to expand...

Wayne K said:

I'm moving to NYC in two weeks and I'll not miss the bugs. The country is for bug people

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImjQS8zm0aY

Click to expand...

I've never been a bug person, but this is just insane...

And what's with all the suicidal butterflies? Probably a dozen a day fly right into my car. And countless more are scattered across the road. I hate seeing the death of something so pretty and harmless.

brainstorm77 said:

I'll take country life over city life anyday

Click to expand...

I suspect Canada doesn't have as many bugs as the South.

Bookewyrme said:

Smish, I think you need to move to a different part of "the country"! Brown recluses, black widows, kudzu, coyotes AND rattle-snakes?! Yeesh.
Says the girl who used to live with the alligators, coral snakes, water moccasins, brown recluses and the ever-present palmetto bugs (like a cockroach, but bigger and they don't stay away if you keep the house clean).

On a serious note, the coyote and rattlesnake won't bother you if you don't bother them (and I think they are interesting and beautiful to watch, particularly from many feet away). Kudzu has to be periodically uprooted (well, you could probably spray it, but that's bad for the environment). The spiders can also be sprayed for (surely you have a local pest-control outfit? They should take care of spiders inside your house mostly) or squished one-by-one as needed. But, uh...try not to walk through anymore webs, eh?

Just remember, the country is a quiet and relaxing place, ok?

*Is a country-girl at heart*

Click to expand...

I'm not sure I could handle the palmetto bugs.

I'm not really worried about the snakes or the coyotes (my cat's indoor only; otherwise, I'd be terrified). And the kudzu doesn't bother me much in real life, but I've been having nightmares about it...

The Black Widow, though. Freaked. Me. Out.

backslashbaby said:

Black Widows actually aren't aggressive at all, if that helps any That said, I've still been bitten by a little one (it fell out of a tree)! I've been around gazillions, so your odds are still OK.

Teeny snakes might eat them. I had one come out of my toilet tank yesterday, if you need me to send you one

It was a baby black snake. Which is good, because they keep the copperheads in the woods down in the woods.

Hey, at least it's not Costa Rica. Now that was crazy!

Click to expand...

Your first paragraph was so reassuring and sweet.

But then you had to write about snakes coming out of the toilet.

Paul said:

perspective is everything. Ireland hasn't a single dangerous animal or insect and yet I (we) freak out over a midge (tiny annoying fly thing).
Still, to avoid the nasties we sacrifice sunshine. not sure if its a good deal.

PS I would of thought the winter would be the hardest part, cos you've sun the rest of the time. Ah sunshine, how i dream of thee...

Click to expand...

Actually, I prefer grey, rainy days.

Maybe I should move to Ireland.

Bookewyrme said:

Are you far enough south to be a part of "Love Bug Season"? (Actually comes twice a year). That's horrible. They aren't pretty like butterflies, but you end up with thousands of them smashed against the front of your car during the month or so that they're around, and they have highly acidic bodies, so they erode the paint off of the car.

Click to expand...

I have no idea. I hope not!

Leah Raeder said:

It's all perspective! I've lived in many cities, and there are bugs in cities, too--unless you live in some kind of hermetically-sealed skyscraper.

Perspective!

Click to expand...

Said The Sun said:

I feel for you. Especially for walking into a spider web. I would seriously die.
But things aren't that much better in the city. Every morning I wake up to five or eleven new mosquito bites. And I don't even open the damned windows. It's like they grow in my apartment. *shudders*

Click to expand...

I know you guys are right. I remember being plagued by bugs in the city (literally in Cincinnati with their 17-year cicada infestation). But I don't recall seeing any poisonous spiders!

And no snakes.

And no coyotes.

But it's a lot quieter here.