Beware of the Bird Moths!

If you're grossed out by bugs, you might want to skip this one.

Every night when it gets dark, the bugs start their day. They come out in full force- mosquitoes, spiders (black widows even), crickets with long whiskers, hornet-ish guys, and what we call “bird-moths” (these are huge moths that are definitely close cousins to birds). A spritz of deet (and of course mosquito nets on the beds) takes care of the mosquitoes, which are more so just annoying and surprisingly the least of our concerns. The spiders and crickets have taken a liking to our toilet, which is located in our backyard, which is inconvenient to observe while you’re vulnerably squatting over a hole in the ground. But we’ve been able to work around them or do away with them (it’s a team effort) when we need to.

It’s actually the bird moths and their hornet-like friends that cause the most concern at night. They literally dive-bomb us! They start out at the fluorescent light hanging above, crash head on into it and then fall straight down onto our heads. And if we’re using computers, forget it. They can’t get enough of the screen. It’s funny at first, but it’s kind of unsettling after a couple minutes- they’re hit your arms, your hair, your ears, and I’ve even watched them try to slide in between the keys on my keyboard.

So, we type swiftly and run to shut off the light. That’s when the good ole lantern comes out. Remember the Coleman-style kind from camping? It’s great and it’s bright! The only problem is the wick, which sometimes mysteriously burns up rapidly (I swear the directions are written incorrectly). It’s ok now, though, we’ve mastered the lantern (after a few smoke-outs). No more dive-bombers… at least until tomorrow night.