Infestation
I am about to cry uncle. We have had a black fly infestation on our back porch. Rotted wood on our steps. Something wafty growing in our hot tub. Something dead under the porch (see above reference to flies). Trim pulling away from the house. Fire ants mounding in the rain-soaked yard. Water dripping from our HVAC register. Termites swarming and GETTING IN THE HOUSE! I’m talking sitting on the sofa slapping termites on my arms and ankles.
All in the last two weeks.
I’m not even gonna talk about the weevil rampage this winter.
I’m beginning to believe in plagues.
OTOH, I survived jury duty fairly unscathed. Yes, it’s my third summoning in under six years. But I’ll do my duty. Then a jury summons arrived to the no-longer-existent former duplex side of our house. That’s the second time it’s happened.
Now I’m beginning to believe in jury summons curses.
So I’m opening a poll. What should I do to drive infestation from my life? Or is “drive” too rough a word? Should I cajole them away? Sweet talk them into leaving? Shame or exorcise them?
I’m open to all suggestions.
Luanne
Get a cat and name him Moses.
Ellen Morris Prewitt
Love it!
Joe Hawes
Call the “Critter Ridders” and then a carpenter, and then the landscape people. OR Give up on trying to live in a swamp.
Ellen Morris Prewitt
The swamp is certainly a factor, isn’t it? Oh, and we did use Critter Control. Not sure they actually found anything, but they did charge us a lot of $ to look. 🙂
Jean Ewing
Is is the NOLA or MS house? I’m asking for myself, because I forgot until I read about your plagues that termites swarm at night around Mother’s Day! I hibernate that week with no lights after dusk and a blanket over my head. RE jury duty: LA definitely has an age exemption that you have to submit 1 time to avoid future summons.
Wherever you are, your description of the plagues should result in no freeloader visits this summer!
Ellen Morris Prewitt
It’s a conglomeration of both. The termites were at Waveland. They were terrible. The standard advice is no outside lights, but we needed to have turned off our inside lights too.
I have calculated that I will never have to do jury duty again given the two year break and the 70 year old exemption. My DIL outdid me: she was called 3 times in ONE YEAR!
Ha, a “silver lining” to all the plagues–no guests!
Emma
In New Orleans, every Mother’s Day. That’s when termites began their nightly swarm. For about a week. Turn off all the lights. Don’t even think about opening your laptop. That light will draw them in. Little nuisances. I move to Waveland. Surely the beach breeze will blow them away. Surely those little biting flies will be blown away. Nay. Termites. Biting flies, no hiding from them. Until, the weather turns, then we can hope. So I move to Hattiesburg. Oh No! Last night as I watched that sweet octopus movie, here they come. I can’t believe they have followed me here. Lights off. TV off. Slap. Squish. Next morning, tiny wings are on the floor. Good thing they do not live very long. I suffer with you Ellen. On the upside though, life is still good down South.
Ellen Morris Prewitt
Termites in Hattiesburg! Hattiesburg! That is so wrong. And squish is so accurate, unfortunately.
Lydia
I’m rooting for you! And, wow, that’s a lot of jury summons.
Ellen Morris Prewitt
isn’t it? Jury duty has been a large part of my life for the last 5 years, but I don’t hold a candle to my DIL.
Marsha
Run, Ellen, run!
Ellen Morris Prewitt
🤣 🤣 🤣
Joanne Corey
Hoping that your Southern pests don’t move up where I live due to climate change! 😉
Ellen Morris Prewitt
Oh, gosh.Pests on the move, that’s even worse.