The Birds and The Beetles

No, dear reader this is not a blog entry about iconic musical bands of the sixties. Nor is it about reproduction. This entry is about the quandary I’m currently facing. I use “facing” rather than “suffering” because in my heart; albeit really deep down in there, I know this is a test. A test of mental fortitude and problem solving skills and one of which failure will not be tolerated.

The fact is that Mother Nature is trying her best to call on me because she knows I’ve always been an ally to her birds and bees.

I warn my students not to squish anything that crawls. The kids in my classes always learn how spiders and other bugs can be our friends by doing away with more harmful insects. I love birds. The sound of their laughter starts my day and their songs soundtrack my outdoor life.

But here I am trying to end their lives. Well, not the totality of their species. I seek to destroy the Japanese Beetles who are devouring my ornamental plants and the NYC pigeons whom have decided to nest on the air conditioning unit outside my daughter’s bedroom window.

As for the beetles- these voraciously iridescent creatures have chewed my lush foliage down to their leafy veins.

And the pigeons, oh my goodness, well they peer through the slit in the curtain as they protectively coo over their freshly laid egg. Creepy!

There’s got to be a solution to these but I’ll be damned if I’ve been able to figure it out yet. But the thing I know for sure is that which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.

And these critters better beware, because I am literally going to kick their collective asses.