At this time of year it’s not just sun which Nature sends this way to let us know summer is here; it’s bugs. Lots and lots of bugs. Geckos feast on the flying ants that swarm around our garden lamps and leave a carpet of wings for the morning newspaper to land on. Lazy lizards lie on the walls sucking up the warm rays in the sunny hours while trails of industrious worker ants spread messages about what’s been left and where to get it.
I don’t mind any of these things, even the slugs and snails, I enjoy their presence and watch them when I can, encouraging my kids to be curious with me.
Spiders, however, are where I draw the line of enjoyment. I don’t like that they may be dangerous (even though they probably aren’t) and for that reason I don’t feel great about them crawling through our home and my children’s bedrooms. But what do I do? I can’t whip out a can of Doom every time I see a member of the arachnid family lurking about in the same space as my own- the poison would probably do us all more harm anyway. Sure, if the spider had a sign on its back saying “I’m one of the bad guys” I’d let him have my shoe (as one well-meaning and brave friend suggested I do to a cockroach) but without knowing, shoe-smashing or taking any other lethal measure just seems a little Chinese government for me.
I don't have the answer. If you do, please share because this summer I'm on the hunt for an effective organic control formulation that will keep 8-legged ones at bay and safeguard my family and the biodiversity of my garden.
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