Flat Black Flying Insect

Cyndi:  Do you remember the bushes around the house that have grown wild this summer?  (Click to read Seven Dollars and Change.)   Jan finally started on the three in the front Saturday.  She started cutting out the growth that doesn't belong.  One part was twisted among the bush, so she grabbed it and yanked hard to the left.  Then SCREAMED!  Yep, two snips, one yank and she was finished pruning.

Merci:  You have to tell the whole truth, Cyndi.  Jan stopped because she was stung.

Cyndi:  By what?

Merci:  That's what Jan would like to know.  There was what could have been a flattened black flying insect plastered against her arm.  And there were suddenly three or four black unknowns insects flying around the area she'd been working.  They didn't attack her and they might have had nothing to do with what happened.

Cyndi:  A wasp?

Merci:  That was Jan's first thought since we usually have wasps flying around the front, but it looked more black than brown or red and it was a bit hard to identify a flat bug with one terrified glance.  Not that she stopped to study it!  And she couldn't find a body when she went back to look.  But it gave her a good scare!.

Cyndi:  And a sore arm.  Ice took down the swelling and closed over the hole.  But now she's wondering if there's still a stinger in there.  On the other hand, she sure hopes it wasn't a spider!

Merci:  What's so funny, Cyndi?

Cyndi:  I'm just thinking about that poor bug minding it's own business and suddenly ... ouch!

Merci:  You'd better wipe the smile off your face before you go in to dinner.  That's what happened to Jan.
  
P. S. by Cyndi:  By the way, try saying the title of this post rapidly three times.

Fire Ant Detector

Micah:  What's this I heard about Jan dancing on your walk yesterday morning?  And without music.

Rusty:  I didn't hear that .  Jan - the tortoise - was dancing down the road?

Cyndi:  Oh, that's not fair.  We kitties didn't get to see it.

Marcus:  What you are complaining about?  I'm a dog and I didn't get to see it.

Merci:  If you would behave instead of trying to play attack, you could go with us.  But you're such a pain, Jan has to walk you separately.

Marcus:  Well, isn't it funny I behave so well when I walk Jan by myself?

Sam:  Don't blame us.  Walking is a pleasure when we leave you at home.

Buddy:  You can stop arguing.  Jan wasn't dancing.  When Jan cleaned up my poop, fire ants climbed her shoes.  There wasn't any nest to see, but when we resumed our walk, the fire ants attacked her legs and that dance was her trying to stomp the ants off her shoes while scraping the ants off her legs and then to scratch the bites.

Cameron: What's a fire ant? Are they anything like fleas? I don't like fleas 'cause they bite.

Sam: Fire ants don't just bite and make you itch, they sting multiple times and their venom makes one feel like they lit a number of fires and are roasting marshmallows for fun.

Percy: Roasting marshmallows does sound like fun. But the bite and sting part doesn't sound like fun.

Buddy: Fire ants are in the same classification as bees and wasps, but fire ants don't just sting once, they keep stinging.

Micah:  Oh, so that's why Jan was splashing tea tree oil on her legs when you got back from your walk.

Merci:  Yes, Jan has been using that tea tree oil on fire ant bites for years. 

Sam:  Well, if she'd stop standing on them, she wouldn't get bitten and she wouldn't need anything to kill the pain.  

Percy:  True, but we all know Jan is a klutz, so if there are fire ants around, she'll step into the middle of them.

Cameron:  I know how to solve that!  We have a smoke detector to warn us the next time Jan melts a tea kettle.  We need to get Jan a fire ant detector to go off when she's anywhere near fire ants.

Rusty:  That's not a half bad idea. Do you think we can find a good deal on Amazon? 

Don't forget the Pet Parade 1 Year Anniversary Giveaway.  We are one of the co-hosts, so you can enter here.