I am not an insect killer. Little crawly and flying beings that I find inside, I rescue and move outside. Those that live outside I leave alone. I never spray, I never trap, I never sprinkle and, for the most part, I have never had a problem. Roaches, beetles, Black Widows, flies, bees and all the rest have lived in harmony with me. However, this spring the Earwigs have taken over. They have broken, in my mind, the nice balanced relationship we’ve shared. Yes, they have always been a bit crazy during this mating time of the year, but the population was controlled enough to live on the same piece of suburbia with them.
I noticed a problem when the new herb garden started disappearing. At sunset the Thyme, Basil, Oregano and Dill looked lovely, but by sunrise sometimes entire plants had been devoured. Then the Earwigs moved into the house; they found comfortable residences in the shower, the refrigerator, the sink and even the book cases. Going outside at night was a challenge. It was impossible not to have them fall from the door frames and end up in my hair. However, it was finding a number of them under the sheets one night that made me turn on them.
I started researching organic ways of deterring them. I whipped up a nasty concoction of Cayenne and Garlic. It made little difference. I could still go out with my flashlight in the deep of night and shine it on anything green and see mostly a swarm of black bodies munching happily away.
So, yesterday I started killing them. It was trench warfare in the sense that I simply started squashing them with my feet; dozens upon dozens. It made me feel sick, taking the life from so many “bugs” that were simply being what they were. However, after uncovering a number of their hiding places I realized that feet alone would not make a huge impact on lowering the population. Therefore, today I launched a nuclear attack. I spread diatomaceous earth over the places they were inhabiting. Though it is considered a product approved for organic gardening, it will still kill more than just the Earwigs. Ants, roaches, roly-polies and others will fall victim; exoskeletons cut open and death by dehydration will ensue.
Somehow a scale tipped and they were no longer, in my mind, part of the Kingdom of God, rather they were an “other;” something that had to be removed (or at least brought under control). Also, I was willing to offer up other life as collateral damage to accomplish this removal. Yet, even as I sit here, feeing bad about it all, I am certain there was no other option…..
Isn’t it just amazing how easy it is to justify war?
