Bugging Out

Over the last two years, I have complained about our house many times. I talk about the lack of space, the messy inhabitants, the junky cats, the neighbors, and more. Though I write all of that, please don't think that I am ungrateful for the space we have been given. It isn't falling apart, and we can afford it. That is a nice combination for us.

Now that I made some positive remarks about it, I can continue on with a bit of the negative. Periodically we experience different insect infestations. It is usually all one kind for a while, then we have peace, then another kind take up residence.

We live across the street from a few corn fields (yes, this is Central Illinois, who doesn't live by corn fields?). Every year during harvest, the combines run and displace all of these nasty little lady bugs. A single lady bug can be cute when you see it climbing on a leaf outside, but a swarm of them crawling on your ceilings and flying into your lights is just plain disgusting. Since our sliding glass door is improperly sealed, bugs just walk into our kitchen in neat little lines. Last week, we weren't home for a few days. When we got back, I walked into the kitchen to find a mat of dead lady bugs covering the floor by the door (why most of them were dead, I don't know... maybe no living plants to eat in the house - we must have poor oxygen levels). I don't understand how so many bugs can find a tiny little hole where the door is not sealed and somehow alert their friends. I'm not sorry they died. They should have been smart enough to go back out of that hole.

We also have a spider situation. They also enter the house through the screen door. That door acts as the proverbial Ellis Island for insects. We are the land of opportunity. Come on in and hide in dark corners and occasionally get hunted by cats. The spiders that visit are a particular breed (is that right for spiders?): giant, hairy legs and ugly (this could also describe me right now). Since I am not as quick as I like to think, one specific spider has eluded me for days (I want to believe it is one spider and not a whole family I keep seeing). Now, every day before I put my shoes on, I shake them out to make sure I'm not about to have a close toe encounter with an angry spider (or lady bug for that matter).

What can be done to solve this problem? The better question is what is a free solution? As of right now, I can find nothing that works, so I try to cuss them to death. I'll keep you updated on the success of this strategy.

Note: these are not pictures from bugs inside my house, but merely an illustration of what I am talking about