Now that it’s about time to start big works in the garden and yard, it’s time to start worrying about bees, wasps and mosquitos.
Just this morning I read that according to a new study that just came out, they’ve determined that wasps can use a form of logical reasoning to figure out unknown relationships from known relationships. What this means is that wasps can determine that if X is greater than Y, and Y is greater than Z, X is greater than Z. For most of history we have thought this was something unique to humans. In just the past 30 years, scientists have discovered that some vertebrate animals (monkeys, birds, fish) can reason like this, but wasps are the first invertebrate that shows this ability.
This news means I am really hoping not to have to spray any wasp nests this summer.
How do you co-exist with all the little critters?
Trail Baboon 
i vote for impeachment
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I try hard at this point to not kill gratuitously – I’ve been known to catch spiders, ladybugs, and one centipede in a small lidded container and release them outside. (And Bill once pointed out that catch and release fruit flies are counterproductive.) If I see a stream of ants in the kitchen, I’ve learned they are attracted to either sugar or grease – I find what they’re after and remove it – voila – they go away.
That said, I kill anything in the house that I can’t trap and release.
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It’s a struggle.
Long as they’re outside and out of my way, they’re OK. In the house…. not so much.
Daughter is terribly bothered by any bug so they have to be dealt with immediately. And if it’s a spider, well, we may just have to burn the house down. 🙂
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Live and let live for the most part . . . until my wife sees a spider or creepy crawly in the basement. Then I’m the Hit Man until the bug is flushed down the toilet.
Don’t even get me started on her fear of ants and snakes! 😉
Chris in Owatonna
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Red ants I understand, or any of the ones that bite…
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I do okay. I’m fortunate that in my current house there are no mice or roaches. I’m sure that there are spiders spinning webs somewhere but I don’t mind spiders.
Outside, I’m not scared of worms and I definitely want worms in the garden but slugs give me the creeps and I’ve been known to set out traps that will lure them in and then drown them.
The other little critters i.e. the twins I usually do okay with, but they do sometimes get too wild for me. The amount of energy in those two little bodies is downright amazing.
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Judging from the amount of cobwebs that I remove with some regularity, I must be coexisting with spiders pretty amicably. I don’t particularly care for them, but they don’t scare me, so whenever I see one inside the house, I evict it as gently as I can. Chances are, though, that Martha will spot a spider before I do, and she doesn’t share my live and let live philosophy. With ants and centipedes inside the house, I’m merciless.
My first cataract surgery is scheduled for May 30th. It’ll be interesting to see what all has escaped my awareness due to poor eyesight.
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I should get my exam and see if mine is ready to operate on yet.
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I have a fairly charitable attitude toward spiders. If you have them in the house, they are there because there are insects to prey upon. If you get rid of all the spiders, the bugs they’re preying upon will still be there. That said, I do get a bit tired of all the spiderwebs in the basement, though.
Pollinators are welcome, at least outdoors.
Love the header photo today!
The Bee
Little chemic-artisan,
Doing work no other can,
Deep in dewy nectaries,
Petal-walled refectories–
Apple-blossom, columbine,
Rose and lily, all are thine,
Yet, though oft thy weight they bear,
Dost thou know how they are fair?
Thine are sun and Summer breeze–
Hast thou aught of joy in these?
Pollen-yellow dumbledore,
Leave thy clovers tumbled o’er!
What’s a lily? What’s a rose?
Down the golden lane he goes,
Drowsing forth a prosy song,
“Honey! Honey!” all day long,
Wasting life’s diviner sweet,
Hiving food for drones to eat.
Oh, thou silly, silly bee!
Idle here and learn of me!
– Arthur Guiterman
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