Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Bzzzzz!!!!

So, recently when I have been home alone during the day, working, I had noticed a buzzing sound in the apartment. Like a bug. Eeew. Convinced that a fly was loose in the house somewhere, trapped behind blinds or something, I had taken to working with an old rolled-up catalog by my side, ready to be deployed for fly-swatting duty. Occasionally, when I heard the buzzing, I would go on a search for the interloper, but I never found any bugs in the house. Very wierd.

Well, yesterday I got fed up. When the buzzing started up again, I tip-toed around, following the sound, hoping I wouldn't startle the bug into silence. I ended up in the corner of the apartment, behind our table, right by the sliding patio door. No bug...but...buzzing? Is my hearing just going? I mean, I'm 30....that is officially old, right?

Then I saw it. A wasp crawled out of its long, skinny nest that was IN THE TRACK OF OUR SLIDING GLASS DOOR OMG WE HAVE WASPS WASPS WASPS!!!!!! After a severe attack of phantom itching followed by some shuddering and yelling of, "Eew, eew, eew!!" I called the leasing office. So, here I am, waiting for the exterminator to come.

By the way, my wonderful husband was less than helpful. I triumphantly pointed out the wasp's nest to him when he got home from work, expecting him to recoil and get the phantom itches and shudders that I had experienced earlier. Except he said, "Oh yeah!" in a sort of excited, facinated voice, which was the ENTIRELY WRONG tone of voice for wasps. Horror, disgust, fear....those are the appropriate tones to take when discussing wasps that have decided to squat on your property. Then he walked off to get a snack. *Sigh*...boys!!

Well, it turns out that, perhaps, my dear husband was correct. The exterminator just arrived and explained to me that we have an organ pipe mud dauber wasp's nest. Apparently they are extremely gentle and almost never sting humans. He went ahead and removed the nest, though, and treated the balcony for me. So, now I feel kind of bad for disturbing their nest. They're flying around in that corner looking forlorn and I think maybe I'm a bad person. I might have to go out for lunch to get away from their accusing stares.

4 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:39 PM

    in no way, whatsoever, are you a bad person for protecting yourself from wasps... eww eww eww! i itch just thinking about it ;)

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  2. I heard that organ pipe mud dauber wasps are the only invertebrates capable of mammalian-style emotion. One researcher likened their typical emotional state to that of a golden retriever. So, by kicking them out of the nest, it's kinda like you kicked a puppy. Just so you know...

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  3. (Now I feel like a bad person for posting that...)

    {hangs head in shame}

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  4. Hah! Take that, Alison.

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