My Son? And it is War . . .

Kyler has started preschool and he is doing remarkably well.  Today was his third day.  I turned off the car to walk him in and he let me know he could do it by himself.  I questioned him . . . I wanted to go . . . I wanted to have the chance to make sure he made it inside . . . Last year was a fight of fights to get him to stay and now I'm no longer needed?  How does that work?  Such joy and sorrow all at once.  I guess he really is growing up.

His teacher, Mrs. Gardner, is trying a new unit this year.  Bug Collections!  She sent a ziploc container home last Thursday and a note saying he needed to bring bugs back, dead or alive, but NO spiders.  We immediately had to go outside and search out bugs.  His first victim was a grasshopper he claims Coalie pointed out for him.  While he searched, I began weeding my flowers and he had to call me out to help him put the second victim into his container.  On my way to him, I asked him what kind of bug he had.  He replied, he didn't know.  I would need to come see.  My findings -- a bee!  I'm not sure how he picked it up but he was holding it by the wings.  I decided the best place for a mad bee might be in the container and so in it went.  I then proceeded to try and explain to him a simple truth -- bees sting!  He seemed so unworried by the thought.  Victim 3 was a grasshopper and he needed my help again to identify victim 4.  Another bee!  This was going to be a challenge.  I had a container I didn't want the captured bee out of and a bee waiting to go inside.  In the attempt to transfer the second bee, the first bee escaped.  He just bent down, picked it back up and in the container it went.  I tried to continue to lecture him.  Bees STING!  He then informed me, they don't sting me, they like me.  At this point, I guess I'll believe him.  But in the mean time, I will keep trying to remind him not to pick them up.

Today we found a bug outside.  I have no idea what kind it is.  I pointed it out to Kyler and once again it was a bug that likes him and needed to be picked up.  He corralled it into his hand and . . .
. . . let it crawl all over him.  It crawled around his back and when it started to go down his shirt I ever so non-gently flicked it off of him.  He just picked it up again and let the crawling process begin all over.  I was quite proud of myself for letting this happen.  I truly don't want him to be afraid of bugs -- soon he'll be able to kill them for me when Andy isn't around.  But, I also get the heebie/jeebies when he holds them.  I'll try to keep swallowing my desire to shout out irrationally -- get it off of you!
And now to the war . . . 

In the days of Moses, many plagues were sent to the Egyptians.  None of these seemed friendly or a trial I would like to endure.  I'm sure it isn't of the same magnitude, but grasshoppers have invaded our community for two summers.  People's gardens have been eaten to non-existence and I have even seen a lawn or two in pretty rough shape.  The pests invaded my garden but since I had it professionally sprayed have diminished in number.  Around the same time, a random peacock showed up which wanders the neighborhood.  I don't have much affection for the bird, it spends an extensive amount of time under our deck and has an extra amount of waste, if you know what I mean.  I invite anyone to come and capture it, to give it a new home but I might be giving away (not that I own it in any sense) our grasshopper control.  Maybe it is a blessing to keep me from going nuts with the grasshoppers?  So, the next question, which would I rather have, an excessive amount of waste or grasshoppers?

In the last two weeks, the second plague of sorts has arrived.  Fruit flies.  If you look carefully, the blind strings have flies on them.  The number fluctuates throughout the day from a few to a few dozen.  In times past, you just had to get rid of the fruit and the flies would disappear.  Fruit has been out of our home for over a week.  All food is put away immediately and the fruit flies just keep growing in number.  I am becoming very knowledgeable about fruit flies -- any thing that can be found on google.  The life span is a week to 10 days, they only eat the outside of the fruit and lay up to 500 eggs/larvae. 
We have tried many methods of eradication.  We started off with apple cider vinegar in a bowl with a drop or two of dish soap, then to vacuuming, insecticide spray, and windex.  I've dumped bleach in my drains and we use lysol wipes for the counters instead of dishcloths.  While all of these seem to have some positive effect the best method currently known is a dish with fruit, covered with saran wrap with small holes poked in the top.  The flies are smart enough to get in but not smart enough to get out.  When the bowl has captured a good amount it is placed in the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds.  The fruit becomes riper and the process continues.  We have eradicated thousands (and I'm not embellishing) with this method.  Just when the numbers seem to improve, a new group is born and we start the process over.  While I was cooking dinner the night before last, I had to have Keanna stand over me and swat them away.  So disgusting!  The winner of the war currently -- the fruit flies.  Andy is threatening to bring in a praying mantis to see if it will help.  I think I would handle that about as good as the peacock . . . but desperation may take over . . .
Too bad this little boy who is friends with bees can't be friends with fruit flies and somehow communicate with them.  He could let them know they would get to live their full life expectancy if they would vacate our home and his mom would also be ever so much happier . . . a win/win for both parties!