Rusticated

Our home is an ecosystem. Birds live in the eaves and we are in need of a humane deportation. Carpenter bees live somewhere near by because woodpeckers tap at the shingles. A skunk marked the side of our house twice, for good measure and portly woodchucks have been seen "getting jiggy" on our deck. Spiders of unimaginable proportions make intermittent appearances, as do the speedy centipedes which eat them. They move incredibly fast, must have something to do with all the legs. I'm guessing that they have lived in this house long before we moved in. Perhaps they are the ancestors of the original settlers of 1911 when the house was built. Judging by their size and sassiness, I think it's a pretty safe guess. I created a treaty in mind: they can live in the basement, but not in our house. (it helps me to feel less guilty about squashing them) Of course, they are too big for me to squash. I run and Robert squashes. We also live with a number of small, shy spiders whose presence is marked only by our weekly "battle of the webs". I vacuum, spider rebuilds....keeps us both busy.

My cat, Elvis, enjoys both the spiders and the centipedes although the latter bites him. Arachnid or arthropod...he's not choosy about his snacks. Should said snack get away, he'll hunt for hours until he finds it. He will crouch patiently with his head under the sofa. He will sit in the bathtub scanning the walls and ceiling. He will sit in front of his bowl of dry food as if it were bug-bait. He stalks his prey like a lion and I am grateful for his instinctual wildness.

In sussing out info about the carnivorous, venomous, biting centipede (and how to be rid of them), I learned that they live for six years and that while some lay eggs, others have been known to give live birth. I'm completely grossed out by the thought of this...all those legs. I also learned that sow bugs (the little gray bugs that roll up into a ball) aren't actually insects at all, but crustaceans. Makes one looks at lobster in a whole new way, doesn't it?

I am considering purchasing one of those sonic anti-insect devices. Does anyone know if they actually work? Though I like to live simply, I do like a good gadget...providing it works and doesn't end up in the appliance purgatory i.e. the cabinet above the fridge, home to gizmos that one thinks they need, but really doesn't.