The Marron Clan: Bugs Life

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Bugs Life

For the past several weeks I have watched my rose bushes wilt and look sick. I didn't know what was wrong with them until my sitter tells me "do you know you have Japanese Beetles invading your plants". I thought these pesky buggers were tree killers not plant killers.

Immediately I went to Home Depot to buy spray. For a couple of weeks I was spraying the bushes as my sitter laughed and said "it's not gonna work, this is the best killer", she caught them with her bare hands, suffocated them and then to make sure they were really dead put them on the ground and stomped on them! Aaaww a true European woman! They don't make them like they used to.

She did this for a couple of weeks but she is only here 3 times a week so things got bad over the weekend. Armed with my debit card I stormed into Home Depot and actually asked what works, I was offered another spray along with a trap. I bought them both. These suckers were going to die! I started assembling the trap standing outside of my car in my driveway. Within minutes the beetles were in my hair, in places they didn't belong and buzzing around me. I looked up to see them EVERYWHERE!! The genius that I am I removed the packaging off the "lure" and as I was reading the directions for the trap they smelled that lure in my hands and went after me.

I ran inside the house practically screaming and told the sitter to help. What does she do? She starts competing with the trap to see what works better, Her or the trap. It was quite amusing, actually. I stood there as she counted the amount of bugs she killed with her bare hands. It looked like she was having a good time. The result....SHE WON! 33 bugs for the sitter and only a handful were trapped in the bag. I felt like I should have paid her at least a nickel for each one but the economy is tough and she looked like she enjoyed it. So far the bushes are clear of bugs, I'm happy and the sitter became one with nature, everyone wins, well except the bugs.