Monday, July 21, 2008

A New Predator

Can I take back all my complaints about cockroaches? And ants? And bees? And geckos? Although really, I like the geckos, they just startle me more times than not. The other day a baby one clung to my sandal (that was on my foot) when I was sweeping the floor.

Seems we have a new pest. One that makes me want to vomit just thinking about it.

Yesterday I was peeling a mango and noticed a couple brown spots. No big deal, I thought, it is produce, after all. Then I noticed a little white, wiggling worm. A maggot. In my mango.

*vomit*

I did what any person not raised around lots of bugs would do: I threw it in the trash. I didn't stop to think that maybe I should try to kill the maggot before tossing it in a container full of discarded food. This morning I pulled out the trash and, you guessed it, maggots. Plural.

I ran the bag downstairs to the garbage bins (we don't really have bins but that sounds nicer than the garbage pile on the sidewalk) before more could escape, but when I returned to the kitchen, they were all over the floor. I sprayed them with all kinds of cleaners, but they kept on inching across the floor. I was forced to do something that I avoid as best I can.

I squished them.

*vomit*

Not with my bare hands! Oh god, no. With many paper towels (I swear I'm trying to be an environmentalist) soaked in bug spray. That seemed to work. Ibis and I went for a long walk, and when I returned, more maggots. I couldn't figure out where they were coming from so this time, I pulled out the big gun: bleach.

I bleached the entire floor, then scrubbed every surface in my kitchen. Two hours later, I think I may have won.

This round.

18 comments:

Spy Scribbler said...

Oh gosh! This is one of the reasons it's nice to live where it snows once a year, you know?

*shudder*

Yay for Melanie! The Conqueror of the Kitchen!

WendyCinNYC said...

Oh yuck. You make me feel a lot better about my ant invasion.

Robin said...

That's it. I'm taking out my brain so I don't have the squishing maggots with paper towels image in my head anymore. Yeesh.

Zoe Winters said...

heh we had a gnat problem once. It was so awful.

Janna Leadbetter said...

Oh, so sorry. Couldn't finish post after I saw maggots. With an s.

*rubs crawling goosebumps away*

Ugh.

Ed Wyrd said...

I can tolerate most bugs, but maggots. Ick.

Nadine said...

I with you on the vomit thing. I hope the bleach got rid of them all!

Aimlesswriter said...

I hate bugs worse then anything else.
I have to go take a shower now.
eeewwwww!
Then I'm going to have to go bleach something for good measure.

sorry you had to experience this!

Anonymous said...

I read the first sentence and stopped. I'm a tomboy, but when it comes to insects I'm such a girl!

Melanie Hooyenga said...

OMG! You all crack me up! Thank you for the support, especially those of you who bleached things for me, lol. :D

I haven't seen any more so I think the bleach worked. I swear I'll be more careful next time.

colbymarshall said...

Oh. My. Gosh. Maggots are the single most disgusting thing ever. The end.

Anonymous said...

Bleh!

Anonymous said...

OMG!!!! ROFL You *really* do have the best stories... I can't decide if I'm laughing because it's hilarious or to block the puke reflex...

You rock MC HOO!!! ROCK!!!!

Melanie Hooyenga said...

Thanks LG!

Turkey, sorry for grossing you out. :D

Jen said...

Maggots? Oiy.

*gags*

Are the maggots still history? :)

Melanie Hooyenga said...

Yes, we seem to have the all clear. Now there's a baby gecko dying on my patio. :(

Jes said...

haha, no, I'm still here. I'm just in Guadalajara for a couple weeks and for grampa's birthday. We were at my cousin's the other day though, eating chicken and fighting off all the damn flies. I fixed a plate to take to my grandmother who lives close by my cousin. I set the plate on the car seat, I swear, no more than five minutes, and when I went back to get in the car, a feckin' fly left maggots all over the meat. I was so grossed out I was gagging for about an hour afterwards. *SHHHHIVERRRRR*

Melanie Hooyenga said...

Jes! Thanks for posting, I think. That story is DISGUSTING! In your car? Ugh!