We found them in our house when we first moved in. It took months, and several different methods, to eradicate them. We're still reminded of their presence; once or twice a year, a representative from the company that finally solved the problem swings by and inspects our beams and joists to make sure the termites haven't mounted a comeback.
For the record, we also have quite a history with ants. I once witnessed them marching in - and out - by the hundreds in what looked like opposing ant conga lines. All that was missing, for you fans of old cartoons out there, were the giant elements of a picnic balanced on their nearly microscopic heads - watermelon, hot dogs, the basket itself. It took so many tries to get rid of them that we're on a first name basis with the exterminator who succeeded in dispatching them. A shout out to Dale!!
We'd like to reassure anyone who had planned to visit us that both the termites and the ants are gone.
So yes, unwanted insects are a nuisance, a money suck, a massive pain in the ass.
But are they monsters?
That's what the fine folks from Terminix would like us to think. Check out this clip from a recent Terminix ad:
After spraying and strategizing for months, you do start to wonder if this is actually what they look like. In another Terminix ad, an armada of giant flying bugs with giant mouths buzz a quiet community, and after crashing through and obliterating houses, turn into termites who in more subdued fashion slip through cracks in the outer walls of another row of homes.
But this is not a war, or a Transformers movie, it's a nuisance, a giant - excuse me, massive - pain in the ass. You will find peace and bug-free days, but not if you internalize every media message that, as my lovely and talented wife, Sheila, says, turns every inconvenience into a tragedy. Let's save our angst, our anger, our compassion for the real tragedies - like more children living in poverty.
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