All Creatures Great and Small
All creatures great and small is gently recycled. Summer is coming! Do you know, yet, what you’ll do to protect your animals and home from bad bugs?
Well. It seems the homemade fly trap post yesterday struck a chord with people. It seems many of us have something in common. We hate flies. I, personally, love seeing them die a horrible drowning death.
Don’t let anyone tell you that I’m sweetness and light, full of love toward all of God’s creatures. Some have to die. As horribly and quickly as possible. Let’s make a list.
- Flies, obviously, with their creepy little feet covered in poo and disease
- Mosquitoes, the little blood-sucking itch factories which carry malaria and West Nile virus
- Spiders in the house – I get that spiders are good and kill flies, but they don’t belong in my house EVER
- Most stinging creatures, including, but not restricted to wasps, yellow jackets and sweat bees (regular bees are not included, only stinging insects which sting unprovoked)
- Cockroaches, the nasty, flying straight at your face in the middle of the night kind – KILL THEM
- Scorpions – raise your hand if you’ve ever opened your shower and found a scorpion on the floor?
I asked my boys to help me with this list and they heard “preachers who have to die on sight”, not creatures. I won’t share their responses.
Other Bugs I’d Like to See Die
But there are creatures I usually don’t see, initially, which harm my dogs, right? Fleas, ticks, heart worms. These also need to die. Quickly. Horribly. But without actually harming my dogs. So I do my best to prevent their existence in my home and on/in my dogs. Because once they attach themselves? Tough to get rid of without starting World War Three and dragging out the nukes.
One of the things we did which has helped with the creatures which harm our dogs has been moving away from the deep south. I kid you not. This is one of life’s great truths, I think. We can’t just keep destroying the bad things around us, whether they have six legs, four legs or two. Sometimes it’s more beneficial for all involved just to move away from the harmful creatures. So we did.
Moving Isn’t For Everyone
But what if I can’t move away? you ask. I lived in Florida for eleven long years, battling the bugs. I couldn’t keep them all out of my house. Had to learn to live with spiders on the ceiling, snakes in the living room, fleas on the cats. I used toxic drops on my pets to keep them safe. Long term benefits for a slightly shorter life span, right? I tried natural remedies, less poisonous means of killing and keeping the bugs away from the home and animals.
It wasn’t until we moved away from the evil bug habitat that we saw relief without toxins. Seriously, I was constantly fighting the habitat. So we lived with poison all the time, everywhere, to keep out the natural environment. All the fancy natural bug repellents and killers weren’t enough.
But you do what you have to do for the sake of your family, two legged and four legged.
I’d love to hear about your battle with the bugs. Especially if you live in the deep south. How do you conscientiously keep the creatures out of your home and off of your pets without destroying your own health or theirs? Now that we live in Oklahoma, it’s easier to live without pesticides. And honestly, having chickens has made a difference. They eat the bugs! But I’d like to hear your story.
Giveaway
I can’t promise that Jones Natural Chews will keep the bugs away, but I can promise that your dog will love them! In fact, we’re currently hosting a giveaway of our newest treats – Chicken Feet and Duck feet. To enter to win, simply click this sentence, scroll to the bottom of the new page, click on the entry box and follow simple directions, making sure you tweet for extra points! Your dog wants these. Promise.
Spreading the good chews …
Flea