The Battle of the Mailbox, 29 July 2009
For a couple of days, going to the mailbox has become an adventure. Opening the box antagonizes the wasps that have set themselves up in the wood frame. So tonight brought a trip to Home Depot for some sprayable ammunition.
Ironically, I just read Silent Spring a couple weeks ago and have had the evils (and futility) of pesticides on my mind. While I am convinced that Rachel Carson's proposed alternatives (introducing predator species or breeding pests out of existence through sterilization) are the best option in the long run, I wasn't looking forward to the inevitable nasty note from our mailman in the short run.
So, armed with sprayable ammunition, I launched my attack.
After the first couple of shots, about forty wasps came pouring out, which is a terrifying sight. A few of them managed to fly away, but most formed a sad pile of wasp corpses in the gutter below. A couple of them figured out who was attacking the nest (me) and charged. Luckily I have a pretty accurate hip shot, and they fell like all my other enemies.
Next up: the covered electrical outlet in back, the site of another nest that has been the bane of my lawnmowing for weeks. This one only had two residents, but they were the two most powerful fuckers I've ever encountered. Direct shots only weighed them down and they started crawling at me. I had to finish them off with a rake. I felt like Maximus at the end of that hand-to-hand gladiatorial combat.
Now I'm inside, and I keep feeling crawly things all over me. My enemies are harassing me from beyond the grave...
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