The long peace has lulled us into a false sense of security. Fall has now arrived and with it, the dreaded enemy has unexpectedly returned. Forays into the fortress have been made through open windows and doors, and evil invaders have once again found their way in through cracks and crevices to buzz our heads around the lights at night or cling menacingly to walls and ceilings. Their daily disappearance is perhaps even more frightening, as they find hiding places in which to weather the winter. Beware fellow warriors! Remaining vigilant is crucial, even in times of seeming peace.
Watching silent sentinels gather. Is another war about to be waged? Prayers are welcome. I will sit vigil and wait.
The battlement windows are silent and empty. The lights are no longer victims of endless buzzing raids. The stench of warfare is no more. Only the occasional invader is found lying listlessly in wait. Is the war truly ended? Can we indeed celebrate our victory?
Or, is the dreaded enemy merely seeking to lull us into a false sense of complacency? I for one, will remain at the ready …
No, not the one where we need to find a way to eradicate this invasive enemy from the planet – the other one. The one where if you so much as poke one of these odiferous intruders your hands will smell of their pervasive scent for hours.
Lysol® has come out with Touch of Foam™ Antibacterial Hand Wash. It feels great, kills germs, and is the only soap I’ve found that will actually cover up that horrendous smell. I do say cover up, however, not remove. Instead of hands that smell like stinkbug, you have hands that smell of Lysol – despite the pretty lavender scent they use to try and hide their distinctive product odor.
Still, I would rather smell like Lysol than like the evil invaders! So, in the battle of Lysol Touch of Foam™ Antibacterial Hand Wash vs. Stinkbugs, for once these pernicious insects are the clear losers. I plan on keeping a bottle handy year-round.
Literally. I can see them slithering out of crannies along my wood-covered walls and dropping down unexpectedly from around the window frame to join me as I’m relaxing on the couch. These stinkbugs all seem to be juveniles – perhaps just entering the wild world of adolescence – about half the size of the average full-sized denizen from hell.
I can’t help wondering if this is simply a case of the young ones having the winter blahs and seeking some outdoor excitement.
“Mom, I’m bored, can I crawl out of the crevice to play?”
“Sure, honey, but don’t forget to harass the owner of the house!”
Aaaagh!! Will this scourge ever come to an end?
Okay, they are still annoying… and irritating… and smelly. However, they just don’t seem to be as prevalent as they used to be. So, I’ve been wondering. What changed? They still come in the house, occasionally in large numbers – although not in droves as they did initially. Yet, they die. Quickly. Within a day at most. So… eventually, they ALL have to die off, right? Maybe there are actually less of them because… there are less of them.
Simplistic? Yes. But I’m thinking it was a stinkbug suicide pact. They vowed to continue attacking my home, despite the poisons and traps that kept decimating them, until their numbers simply dwindled.
Regardless of the reason, I am happy to report that I am no longer under daily attack in an endless stinkbug war. These days, it’s an occasional battle of not-quite-epic proportions. Life is good!
I’m not certain if this is the answer to the mystery of why this year, for the first time, I am NOT inundated with their evil forces, but I have figured out that my dog is, truly, insane: He eats stinkbugs. Gleefully. Purposefully. He finds a stinkbug, sniffs it, rolls it around with his nose, snatches it up in his mouth, drops it, rolls it around some more, and finally snaps the stinkbug up and actually swallows. Then he looks for another one.
It’s a bit like watching a cat play with a mouse. Revolting yet somehow mesmerizing. And the thing is, I don’t want to discourage him. After all, it’s easier than dealing with smelly stinkbugs on my walls and windows.
Good dog!
We have been waiting for months with baited breath for the enemy to renew their attack on our outpost. Yesterday we discovered, to our great dismay, that the dreaded stinkbug army has returned. Again, we find screens covered with their evil soldiers. This time, however, the attack is different. They are only actively assaulting one room. And the stinkbug forces are greatly diminished. Is this merely a feint, or have they truly been decimated?
We will re-apply the poison barrier and wait…
Could this really be the end of the stinkbug siege?
Just when we thought it was safe to go back in the garden, our worst fears have been confirmed. Stinkbugs are predicted to return with a vengeance by early to mid August. Apparently, the adults from earlier this year laid their eggs, died… and now, those timebombs they left behind are starting their slow release of newly hatched stinkbug nymphs. They have been sighted gorging on blackberries, just barely into the adolescent-sized soldier mode… and many more are coming.
Enjoy the respite, fellow warriors – and batten down the hatches. Stinkbugs will be back in full force before we know it. PREPARE YOURSELVES!
