Blackswan
Banned
Joined: October 2008
Posts: 6,388
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Bugs
Dec 20, 2008 13:03:08 GMT -5
Post by Blackswan on Dec 20, 2008 13:03:08 GMT -5
My son saw a spider (daddy-long-legs) crawling across the dirty clothes on the bathroom floor, and a cockroach in there too.
I am terrified to go back in there, but I can't avoid the bathroom forever, obviously. If it was any other room, I COULD avoid it forever, and I would.
But my coat is in there, so I definitely need to go in there in the next five minutes or so before I leave.
And I guess I should clean it today, after we come back from a birthday party we are going to, but I feel so anxious and scared. I am thinking about wearing sneakers and long dishwashing gloves, and that should help some, but I am just so terrified. It is my worst nightmare. What if I end up with a house full of bugs again?
I can't stand living like that, it is the most awful thing in the world. I have a lot of daddy long legs here, and I have gotten used to those, there is even one in the corner above my bed that has been here for over a month, and i sleep with it there, but the thought of one moving freaks me out.
And I am so scared of cockroaches and waterbugs. I am terrified! I know if I put the bait out, they will go away again, because it has been three months since last time I put it out, but I don't even want to deal with the bait becuase it comes with a picture of a cockroach on the box. IS that sick or what? It has been shopped and dropped and is on the middle of the living room floor, and I haven't even been able to go in the living room.
I have my ex boyfriend who I still love desperately, but it is unreturned, coming over on Christmas morning, so I know for a fact that my house will be completely cleaned by then, but how am I going to start if I am afraid of things jumping out and killing me?
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Bugs
Dec 20, 2008 13:33:32 GMT -5
Post by canna on Dec 20, 2008 13:33:32 GMT -5
Blackswan.
Oh no. I totally agree with you. I can't stand spiders at all, and Daddy longlegs - yikes.
The worst for me was spiders when I was living in my old house. It really needed a lot of work. Then, I saw some of these:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scutigera They are House Centipedes. !! And they are t r u l y scarry. I saw them occasionally walking accross carpeting. I called them carpet eaters. OH the Worst was seeing one in sink or bathtub. They give me the creeps. And, they are pretty big.
Good luck with your attempt to deal with crawlies.
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Bugs
Dec 20, 2008 13:45:40 GMT -5
Post by moggyfan on Dec 20, 2008 13:45:40 GMT -5
You are Godzilla. They are the tiny terrified residents of Tokyo.
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Bugs
Dec 20, 2008 13:53:00 GMT -5
Post by timetochange on Dec 20, 2008 13:53:00 GMT -5
For me it's the fear that mice are going to jump out at me. It would help if that had not actually ever happened. Put on your gloves and shoes. Stomp on everything real good and then pick it up. Or better yet get a shovel and just throw it all away! Actually I am serious on this one. Put on some loud music and get ready to yell and stomp!!!!!!! Leave the package of bug bait IN the bag and open it in the bag and dont look at the box. That way you wont look at the pic. You can also try "desensitizing" therapy. Get a couple of pictures of the scariest bugs, or make a collage and put it up on a wall or door that you look at ALOT. After awhile your brain WILL become desensitized to the sight of that object.
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Bugs
Dec 20, 2008 15:35:51 GMT -5
Post by notsomessyshell on Dec 20, 2008 15:35:51 GMT -5
Love the Godzilla analogy! Great image. You can do it. I would wear the gloves and shoes. Stomping around is also a good idea. Sing a silly song..."no bugs in here, no bugs around, no spiders to fear, I will stomp the ground"
I had a horrible roach phobia. It was BAD. If I saw one I would hyperventilate. One time Hubby and I were going out to dinner and in the parking garage there was a big water bug. I had to go home. It was horrible. That is when I decided that I had to do something about it. I did some desensitizing. I got some pictures of roaches and forced myself to look at them. Did some deep breathing exercises. For the final step I watched the movie "Joe's Apartment". It is about a guy whose apartment is infested with roaches, and they talk. It is funny and I got through the entire movie, by myself, in the dark! I touched a hissing cockroach in my son's science class. Now they are not my favorite creature, but I am not terrified of them any more.
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Bugs
Dec 20, 2008 15:59:47 GMT -5
Post by bluefrog on Dec 20, 2008 15:59:47 GMT -5
OK, blackswan, wear the gloves and good stomping shoes. When you're through singing messyshell's song, try this old camp song:
"There ain't no bugs on me! There ain't no bugs on me! There may be bugs on some o' you mugs, But there ain't no bugs on me!"
Make sure you get the roach bait out, though. Just don't look at the picture.
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Bugs
Dec 20, 2008 18:08:26 GMT -5
Post by Moodle on Dec 20, 2008 18:08:26 GMT -5
Moggyfan says, "You are Godzilla. They are the tiny terrified residents of Tokyo." This is hilarious, Moggyfan! Sic 'em, blackswan! I have faith in you!
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Bugs
Dec 20, 2008 18:32:52 GMT -5
Post by dayeanu on Dec 20, 2008 18:32:52 GMT -5
I too, have a near-phobia. It's of frogs, of all things. (No one ever said these things made sense!) Absolutely nothing else scares me. A few years ago, my daughter and I rented an old farmhouse. At one time it had been a fine home, but it was really old and not tightly sealed, apparently. One night I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. Often I didn't even turn on a light, but thankfully, that night I did. When I raised the toilet lid, there perched a little tree frog on the seat. Just think if I hadn't turned on the light! It seemed that several times a year, there would be an invasion of tree frogs. They would be in the bathroom and kitchen (I guess where there was water.) I didn't dare walk anywhere in the house without a light on, for fear of stepping on one. Thankfully, they never invaded the bedrooms or living room.
The wonderful news about grandaddy long-legs is that they eat other bugs, and are totally incapable of biting a person. I personally would leave them alone, unless there are just too many. If there are just too many, I'd just gently sweep them outside so they could continue to eat bugs.
I totally agree with the suggestion of leaving the roach bait in the bag, and just open it in there. Or put a big piece of duct tape over the picture. Or perhaps you could get a neighbor or co-worker to open it, then place it back in the bag, and all you'd have to do is put on your rubber gloves and set the bag in place.
There is a very inspiring story on Squalor Survivors you might want to read, if you haven't already. It's under "Stories" by "Fivecat." She tells how she overcame all sorts of fears. (Frankly, she's a better woman than moi.)
Good luck. Wish I were nearby to help with your exterminating.
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Bugs
Dec 21, 2008 3:21:03 GMT -5
Post by creativechaos on Dec 21, 2008 3:21:03 GMT -5
how about some duct tape over the pic of the cockroach on the trap? those things give me the creeps! The ones back east could get 3 or 4" long ... ewwwww! i lived in an apt. above a tavern and the cockroaches were rampant; some really big guys too. some mornings i'd wake up and there'd be about a 2" one on my chest, staring at me with its antennas going; i kid you not! talk about freak out! my response to that was to grab the first hippie caravan going west, give my valuable and best stuff to an untrustworthy boyfriend who sold it all, drag the rest down the stairs to the curbside, and leave for the west coast! ! true story.
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Blackswan
Banned
Joined: October 2008
Posts: 6,388
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Bugs
Dec 21, 2008 4:45:13 GMT -5
Post by Blackswan on Dec 21, 2008 4:45:13 GMT -5
Oh god, I am getting the creeps just reading this! I am trying to think back to when my house was a home, and how happy I felt in it, and unafraid. I just need to get past the anxiety and do the actual cleaning!
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Bugs
Dec 21, 2008 7:49:07 GMT -5
Post by heylady1 on Dec 21, 2008 7:49:07 GMT -5
I'm afraid of big spiders, but I'm not afraid of daddylongleggs at all. In fact, I used to play with them as a kid! So I'm with Dayeanu I'd leave them alone if at all possible. They may not be eating the biggest roaches but you can be sure they are hunting down the small ones!
How old is your son? Could he put a piece of duct tape over the picture of the bug? Or use a marker to scribble it out? If he's older he might be able to open the package for you and then you could put the bait out. Just make sure he washes his hands afterwards and it will be fine. You can desensitize yourself but I believe that takes time and you need to get this going now.
I'm with you on hating roaches. Nasty things. Not only do we have the regular german roaches here in Florida but we have the added bonus of Palmetto bugs which are roaches on steroids. Huge, huge things that click as they walk and the females can fly! Lovely. If one of those gets in the house, we do not sleep until it is found and either destroyed or removed by my insanely brave husband.....
Good luck!
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Blackswan
Banned
Joined: October 2008
Posts: 6,388
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Bugs
Dec 21, 2008 17:25:35 GMT -5
Post by Blackswan on Dec 21, 2008 17:25:35 GMT -5
Still having a hard time reading my own thread, ! That is why I have been letting the daddy long legs live though, because I know they are taking care of small bugs, and they just kind of stay in one spot and don't move much. I have about four or five in my bedroom right now, and I am not freaking out! Surprisingly.... All I know is that there is a countdown to Christmas, and I have company coming over, so the house will be spotless sometime before then, I just don't know when I am going to actually do it, but I know it will be done.
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Bugs
Dec 21, 2008 20:52:10 GMT -5
Post by AnnieOkie on Dec 21, 2008 20:52:10 GMT -5
blackswan-It sounds like you really have a problem with the bug thing.... Have someone open the box of roach baits for you and put them down. Better to do it now before you see any more of them. Seriously!! I'm not kidding, do it now and they will go away. For the spiders, get some Raid (I think you can even buy the unscented kind if I am not mistaken). Spray around the edges of walls and doors. This should help. Please don't let your fear keep you from doing something now before the problem gets worse.
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Bugs
Dec 21, 2008 22:07:59 GMT -5
Post by creativechaos on Dec 21, 2008 22:07:59 GMT -5
blackswan, how is it going? sorry i scared you with that story. did you get those roach traps down yet? you can do this! you got rid of them once, you can do it again.we are rooting for you.
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Bugs
Dec 21, 2008 23:08:13 GMT -5
Post by dayeanu on Dec 21, 2008 23:08:13 GMT -5
We have those giant tree roaches here, too. I didn't know they were called palmetto bugs. They are freaky. One night my Sheltie began to have a fit in the den. We couldn't see what she was barking at, but she was after something, for sure. When she finally got it, it was a giant tree roach. Ewwwwwwww.
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