Where are the bugs?

They're gathering their forces for a surprise attack when you least expect it. 😀

The ants are all hanging out in my yard, trying to cross the toxic moat I have around the doors and windows. The huntsman spiders are hanging out on my ceiling... the lizards are either scampering all over the yard, or running for their lives inside... with three cats, ours is the house of death for lizards. 🙂

I haven't seen any millipedes in quite a while, though.

I think millipedes are more prevalent in the summer...there's kind of a "season" for them here.

Beth, you can keep the ants and spiders . . . I'll rescue your lizards from the cats. I do miss my cats when I'm here but the lizards have a job to do.

BTW . . . I just found one live millipede, and so it begins.

BTW . . . I just found one live millipede, and so it begins

Told ya!

So odd that I don't notice some things until someone points it out.......no, no mili or centipedes here for quite some time. In winters past, I do remember them as I had a small nursery, however, this year, and in retrospect (with the caveat of being on St. Croix...)

-I have noticed a decline in the bugs
-An enormous and Stephen King-like increase in chickens
-A leap forward in the iguana population as well as the wild peacock
-fewer sightings of mongoose.

Hmmmm. I wonder if these and other rather significant changes have been noticed by others? Of course, being a researcher at heart, I will begin a journey with no end to learn of things that probably have little significance. Ahhh. The life on an island! Gotta love it!

D

Okay, the bugs are all freezing to death with this cold weather!

Daniel: We have had a huge population explosion of chickens here on St Thomas, too. The island administrator got so many complaints that she hired a guy to go catch them. I have noticed a decrease in some areas, and an increase of chicken items on local menus! 😉

I don't see near the number of mongoose that I used to.

Maybe the chickens ate them...

i think they're under their blankies...:$)

My observations. We have a ton of mongoose in cotton valley. I watch them every morning while I am drinking my coffee on the front porch. Hardly any mosquitoes right now but while at chicken charlies down the street we were devoured. At Cheeseburgers the other night no mosquitoes but we usually get eaten alive there. Snails are everywhere in my garden. Bees are attacking me as I weed the flower beds,, they are very aggressive. I have seen 2 centipedes. One in JJs suitcase that I was unpacking and a huge one in my bedroom this morning after the bug guy came to spray. God I hate those things. I don't know why they scare me so much. We had tons of fleas in the dog kennel. We don't have any dogs out there anymore but that is where we were building our chicken coop. We had the bug guy spray out there for fleas before we put the chickens out there. Aphids are all over the bougainvillea. Very few millipedes but we usually have hundreds of them after a rain. Lots of lizards to JJs delight inside and outside of the house. No mice or rats. Little tiny sugar ants everywhere also found several fire ants holes out in the yard. Big huge moths the size of small bats outside. Some small feral kittens that I tried to rescue. They were gone in a week. I am sure victims of other cats or mongoose. Poor little things. Many feral cats. One black and white one extremely mean. Deer in my yard almost every night eating my lime trees. Young bucks with the fuzzy antlers. Maybe mating season. Found 2 dead hummingbirds. Probably feral cats.

EE . . . LOL, "cold weather"!!! I am teasing everyone back home in Baltimore where they are bracing for an ice storm today while I went to the beach, and swimming, yesterday. It's funny seeing locals here all bundled up while I am sleeveless and loving it. We do have a lightweight cotton blanket on the bed though.

It really has been an easy visit for me this time without bugs and mildew to clean. In one week I've only seen one live milli and swept up two dead ones, plus a couple dead lizards in the house which I found strange since I don't recall that happening before. Never seen a centi, thank God, or mice or rats for that matter. No mongoose this time, just one feral cat, couple small spiders and a few toads in the newly planted gardens.

Did noticed many planes coming in yesterday while at Cottage's beach yesterday. The military plane, C-117? landed twice . . . unless that was two different ones??? The beach, Cottages and Sand Castles looked practically empty. Saw that Coconuts and the Domino Club were closed . . . is that permanent or because of Mardi Croix?

Lightweight cotton blanket? My gosh, I have a down comforter! 😀

with at least one foot out 😛

Cold? How cold? I was planning on leaving my blankets all stateside . . . if I need one, I have PLENTY!!! Also, I've been warned not to bring any/many sweaters/sweatshirts, socks, and/or pants. For me, this sounds crazy. I lived in CA, yes, but I wore sweatshirts and even a jacket from time to time!!

Someone help me - what warm gear should I bring? For me, warm enough to be comfortable only in a bathing suit (before getting wet) is about 80 degrees. In a wet bathing suit . . . 90. Haha maybe I'm exaggerating due to the freezing weather lurking outside of my office door right now (brrr, this mn winter needs to be over already), but I definitely do NOT want to be stuck out on the island cold because I listened to my cousin and left all my sweatshirts and blankets at home. =)

P.S. I'm terrified of spiders. I know they can't/won't/don't want to hurt me, and that they're more scared of me than I am of them, but still . . . it's a phobia and I'm pretty sure I'm incurable!! What kind of spiders can I expect (size, level of terror expected to be experienced), how often, and where should I go to avoid them if possible? What's a feral cat? The chickens are pretty nice, right? My dad has chickens and they're pretty cute . . . What should I know to avoid and what are some tricks to keep myself safe?

I LOVE lizards and cannot wait to live with them!! Don't they eat spiders and millipedes and centipedes?

Brinni, if it helps, when I was there in the winter last year, I was fine in shorts and sleeveless shirts all day, and a wet bathing suit in the sun, but I did put on a thin fleece in the evenings. I live in Phoenix and tend to be the one who's always cold, so take that for what it's worth. I'm no expert, but I'd probably pack at least a few warm items... if nothing else, they'll be useful when you fly to visit family/friends up north.

I am not sure if this constitutes as bugs but...

for the first time in six years I went to Chicken Charlie's for Sunday Brunch this past weekend. I didn't know that they had a Sunday Brunch. The food was GREAT, the atmosphere, with the sailboats in the background, was FANTASTIC, the portions were HUGE, the service was EXCELLENT and the prices were just like STATESIDE (a family of four, about $30.00)!!!

Unfortunately, no one in my family could enjoy the food, atmosphere, generous portions, excellent service or, at the end, the superior prices!!! The flies were HORRIFIC!!! The flies were so thick, my wife made the comment that we were getting a good work out as we ate... our arms were swinging so much to fend off the flies, we were working up a sweat!!!

In the end, we were happy for the huge portions because we had to leave behind about a fourth of our meal because we could not defend against the flies and eat at the same time!!!

To the owners/managers/servers of Chicken Charlie's:
Please address this problem. We have pretty much given up on Cheese Burger's because of this very issue, but the level of service/staff and value at Chicken Charlie's wants us to make this a biweekly (at least) family tradition!!!

Thank you for reading my pleasures/complaints,
Uttica

P.S.
I remember living in So Cal. All the open restaurants had open bottles (two liter plastic coke bottles half filled with water hanging from the roof and decks). When I inquired, they said it was was to keep away flies I don't know how it worked, but I never did see flies at these restaurants!!!

Sorry for all the "!!!", my wife does say that I like to yell alot :)'

P.P.S.
I let my wife proof read my message. She brought up a great point. If we had such a terrible time fending off the flies at our own table with our own food, what is going on in the kitchen with the flies??? I can only hope, to keep my food down, that in the kitchen they are just as diligent as we were on the floor.

Please, Chicken Charlie's, address this issue.

Uttica

P.P.P. S. ( is there such a thing as P.P.P.S?) to Brinni:

I have learned to live with spiders. If you knew me, you would understand that this is a great, great leap!!! I have lived in Frederiksted for 4 years before I moved to Christiansted 2 years ago. I have never seen spiders like I have seen in Frederiksted in my life.

I grew up in KY but never ran into spiders like I did in Frederiksted. One time I found a spider floating in a bucket of water. Luckily, he was dead. A small (about an inch wide), but legs very, very thick!!! I could not sleep for a week!!!

Then there was a spider (like a daddy long leg), but this guys legs were about 8 inches long (!!!) in my bedroom!!!

Talk about sleepless nights.

Anyways, I have Terminex once a month. I live in C'sted now. I want to make Chicken Charlie's a staple, but who knows?

Please, please address this issue!!!

Thank you all so much for your help!!! I've decided to bring one really soft, comfy blanket/throw and a few sweatshirts, pants, and socks. =) And, roadrunner, you have a very good point about having something to wear on the plane rides back. There's no way I'd make it out of the airport in mn in december in a tank top and skirt!

Uttica - chicken charlies sounds delicious, but I can't believe the fly situation!! No way?!?! Why didn't you guys just grab your food in to-go boxes and eat on the ground outside?

The spiders you just described literally will give me nightmares tonight! I'm absolutely shocked to hear about a daddy long leg with 8" legs. I almost had to stop reading when you were about to talk about the town that had the bad spiders and the one that was better . . . thank goodness I read on because I'm moving to Christiansted!! WHEW.

I would like to retract any further questions about spiders at this point. Moving forward, I have decided that it is best just to wait until I get there, take it as it comes, and roll with the punches (even if they come from gigantic, furry, horrible tarantula legs). *shiver*

We eat at Chicken Charlies once a week and I have never experienced any problems with flies. We eat there at dusk/night and the mosquitos are what get me, especially my ankles. Did you say something to the server?

Brinni - I always have my Dad pick me up at the Mpls airport with a jacket (parka in winter & lighter one in summer). He parks in the valet lot underground so I don't have to stand out by baggage claim and freeze. That being said, bring warm clothes here. This winter has been chilly and I've been wearing long pants/jeans every day & jackets/sweatshirts every night. I keep a blanket on the couch and I sleep under a big comforter. I have become a wuss since living here (no more hearty Minnesotan here)!
Spiders....they are not too bad here - I've definately seen bigger in MN!

Uttica - Chicken Charlie's has always had a fly problem and it's been getting worse and worse. My husband and I don't even go there anymore (this also has to do with getting 3 horrible meals in a row). Interesting about the Cheeseburgers comment - I almost never see flys there - only mosquitos and if you spray they leave you alone.

We lived in palm springs for several years and they have a horrible fly problem for about 3 or 4 months a year. There's a CHEAP and green solution that most of the restaurants use.

You collect regular size drinking water bottles, tie them with string to your roof over hang and keep them filled with water about half way. It is a little labor intensive but its good for the enviroment, it doesnt smell, and its cheap.

The fly problem is really bad at chicken charlies, I only go up for triva now, if you go during the day its kinda disgusting to eat with all the flys. They have really good food, I too wish they would do something about it.

I have heard that the fly problem is due to the dumpster. It seems to only occur in the day time. I have experienced the same problem at cheeseburgers in the daytime and mosquitoes at night.

Betty, why does the water bottle thing work? I don't get it. I mean, if flies were scared of water, would they even be on the island at all?

Speaking of which . . . I had this crazy dream last night that I was living on island (keep in mind I have yet to ever set foot there; April 7 will be my first look!) and had to take a shower at this public restroom/shower house of sorts. Well, I'm just about to run into the shower and I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. To my horror, I was COVERED in red welts! Bug bites that were bigger and more deeply red than anything I'd ever seen before! Immediately after I saw them, I was itchy. Then my kitty started eating and ripping some cardboard off of the boxes still in my bedroom and I woke up. I felt all over my body and was relieved to find zero bites.

Told you I'd have nightmares!!