Community > General chatter

So, how does one deal with bugs?

(1/2) > >>

DeviantProtagonist:
Not in the sense of having them exterminated or whatever, but psychologically. Having done some lawn work today, I'm left walking in jumpy as all hell.

More onto that, it's at that point in Spring in which life flourishes most I deem -- in this case, caterpillar season. Once leaving the larval stage they tend to migrate randomly, and it's at this time I find them littered on my house. I'm put off, but don't think much of it at the time. I also live in a rural area, as away from city life as can be, so there's that to consider.

Having said this, there's also the canker worm issue our communities tend to have; they litter the highway, often clearing away the surrounding forestry. Again, unsightly as shit. Back to caterpillars, it was only after doing said lawn work I wound up with some inside my house upon entry, on the floor. Soon enough, I found several on my dress pants as well. That was a first; it wasn't fun, it wasn't nice in the slightest, but composure was kept.

Man, there's just so many negative ways I could describe my emotions right then and there. I mean, I can go about with disposing them, but I just can't put my finger on as to why I've got such a strong reflex and repugnance upon first sight; I'm not sure whether to classify this a phobia, since things like ants, ticks and various flyers I can handle fine, but if it's something with more than six legs and/or has a long, segmented body, then I immediately go NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE.

Overall, it's just a straight up inconvenience for me, so any advice and/or empathy is much appreciated. And no, before anyone says, I'm not going to hold one -- fuck that noise. Fuck it so hard.

altuixde:
I keep a paper cup and an index card handy, so when I see a bug I catch it (the index card is for covering the paper cup) and I release it outside. I was going to suggest moving to Canada (too cold there for bugs most of the year), but you're already there.

What do the caterpillars look like after they leave the larval stage? Before they leave the larval stage, some of them can be pretty cute:
http://i61.tinypic.com/kyejs.jpg

Edit: I guess I can't really help with dealing with bugs psychologically. When I see lots of them en masse I can get pretty freaked out too.

Edit2: Changed the embedded picture to a link.

DeviantProtagonist:
I'm sorry, but the picture does not help, considering what I've dealt with. Hotlink that, man! D:

I've taken a liking to keeping a box of kleenix handy, or a fly swatter to orientate bugs away, because God forbid actually touching these vermin. Although, someone of the wise is more partial to keeping a vacuum and peppermint oil handy to do away with undesirables. A bit morbid, but it seems to get rid of the problem outright. Yeah... Canada gets these long propagation periods, too. :P

I roughly know of caterpillar biology -- I can't imagine them looking that much different than they do now. Either way, gross beyond hell. What bugs give you the creeps in particular?

Setsuna:
There's always the vandal method of carrying around a can of anything plus a lighter. There's also electrified racquets (Not that I use those, but I know people with them), and the good old slipper/boot.

Yep, my solution now is to just kill them off if they're somewhere they shouldn't be.

I tend to be rather short and brutal about it. I live on a continent which contains a lot of things that can kill me. Giving quarter to small living things which I think will leave me alone isn't my style, only because I've been at the wrong end of THAT equation before, nearly quite terminally.

I don't think 'Killed by a spider she left alone cause she couldn't tell the difference between a poisonous one and non poisonous one' sits well with me on my tombstone.

... You probably don't want to know how close THAT one got to being written.

altuixde:
Being short and brutal can be good, because giving bugs a quick death is quarter... at least compared to letting them die slowly.


--- Quote from: DeviantProtagonist on June 04, 2014, 06:04:41 pm ---What bugs give you the creeps in particular?

--- End quote ---

The window in my room is kind of old, and bugs can sometimes get around the screen. One night, a spider two to three inches wide crawled across my keyboard and I promptly killed it. The next morning when I woke up my room was filled with hundreds of little baby spiders. The reason for this, it turns out, is that some spider species carry their babies around on their back. I hardly ever open that window anymore.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page