Friday, 20 June 2025

Things are buggy!

Things are hopping in Perth this weekend. There are road closures and traffic for three things: 

We'll shop elsewhere, or early, and skip the market. It's a busy town!

Joe's gone back to walkies. I am glad. You have to dress for it. Our back deck is usually good, but we've mosquitoes, blackflies, and now deerflies. They don't know what season it is, it's late for blackflies and early for deerflies. I think he's going to walk in town after the other day!

🕷It is tick season. We're aren't doing too badly here. The spring adults are easy to spot. I felt one crawling up my elbow as I sat in my easy chair. I thought it was a spider and slapped at it. It went back into the folds of the chair. Then it climbed back up on me. I yelled for Joe to get the tick jar. Between us we got it into the jar, but it climbed out! There obviously wasn't enough rubbing alcohol in the jar. That's been fixed, and a new cotton pad put in. 

The nymphs are the small ones, newly born. They'll come around later in the season. The one on me is at 2 o'clock. We had 17 last year, most of them on me!



This sawyer was on the glass, and was tough to photograph. My hand helped! They look like ancient relations of dinosaurs!

Monochamus scutellatus


There was a flag to be hung up, I'd set it on the deck. Lifting it up, I disturbed a dock spider, some people call them fishing spiders, which landed overboard. It was huge! They do eat bugs...
Dolomedes tenebrosus

I loathed throwing this table out. The one board on top is rotting, the others are good. It was made by the previous owner out of heavy 6 x 6" pieces of wood. I removed and flipped the top boards.
Not so bad.

Cinnamon works so hard! He gets tired, too! The deerflies drive him batty, and he sticks close to the deck.


Happy weekend, all.

14 comments:

Jeanie said...

I'll have to be careful at the lake -- Rick got nailed by a tick last year. Were starting a heat wave today. time to brace ourselves!

eileeninmd said...

Hello,
It is buggy here too, so far I have not noticed many ticks.
But, they are there. Cute Cinnamon photos.
Take care, happy Friday! Have a great weekend.

Anvilcloud said...

It’s good to be ticked off.

Barbara Rogers said...

Yes it seems early for deerflies. Glad you caught Mr. Tick. What a busy roadway you have! I haven't been out in woods yet, since our nearby Blue Ridge Parkway is still closed in lots of places needing repairs. However, there's a play area along a nearby stream that's calling my name...

RedPat said...

I would be with Cinnamon today.

KarenW said...

The bugs sure are nasty right now. A black fly got me right on the eyelid. You know how that goes...looks like I've been in a fist fight.

Mary Kirkland said...

The bugs during the Summertime are the one thing besides the heat that I really don't like.

DrumMajor said...

You are very brave to play with your spider friends. Linda in Kansas

Linda's Relaxing Lair said...

Hi Jenn, I don't think I have ever seen a sawyer before. Strange looking insect. Cinnamon is delightful, and I can relate. The heat and humidity tire me out. :)

Elephant's Child said...

So many biting bugs love me I am glad that I don't live in an area with ticks or deer fly.
Cinnamon looks totally 'laxed. Enjoy your weekend.

MARY G said...

Great sawyer pic. I hear you about the biting bugs. Thank goodness for a screened porch.

Ontario Wanderer said...

I am ahead of all of you on ticks, I have taken 21 off of me so far this season. Only one had attached briefly; the others were crawling about. I dispatch them with my pocket knife. It's a quick and, I think, rather painless as they are cut in half in an instant.

Val Ewing said...

Clever fix to the table. So far I've had two ticks crawling on me this year. One was on my pants leg and another was on my arm. Maybe I taste bad? I toss mine in the toilet.
LOL...
Cool insect. I've never seen one like that before.

DeniseinVA said...

Looks like Cinnamon has the right idea. Interesting looking at all your bugs. I have never seen or heard of a sawyer before. A extraordinary looking little creature.