On a lighter note......

[Just a Guy]

:salam2:

Seeking Allah's Mercy, I have always had a fear of spiders as far back as I can remember.

I think it goes back to the time when I was maybe 5 or 6, playing hide and seek at a friend's house, with the lights off, in the basement. I wandered face-first into a spider web and just freaked out. I was screaming and crying ike a maniac running through the house to the bathroom to wash it all off of me. Ever since then I have been afraid of spiders. Even the small ones freak me out.

Plus they have all of those eyes and legs and it makes them look like some otherworldy horror.

JenGiove, I bet that was something to see, this woman holding a snake like it's nothing while all the dudes recoil in horror. Someone should have taken a picture of that.

kashif_nazeer, lucky the snake was just a black racer and not a cobra like in xAllahKnowsBestx's story. I don't think I would have been as brave (or foolish) had it been a venomous snake. We do have copperheads, rattlensnakes, and cottonmouths where I live, and all are venomous pit vipers.

When I still lived with my parents, one of their dogs was bitten by a copperhead. She survived it and lived for years afterwards. The dog's name was Wolf, so I used to call her "Snakedog" and "Copperhead Wolf" in honor of that event.

Z is my mouse-killer, and as I said, she is very catlike in her killing. I don't know where she learned it from since I have never had a cat. But it's funny to see this big German Shepherd-Doberman mix chasing a little mouse around while my collie (my other dog) just lays on the deck watching them.

 

[JenGiove]

JenGiove, I bet that was something to see, this woman holding a snake like it's nothing while all the dudes recoil in horror. Someone should have taken a picture of that.

Oh, it was something to see cause I was letting it curl around me and I was talking and cooing to it! lol! Actually, one man took a picture and my husband and I took pictures with our cell phones.what got me was here were all these 'manly men" types and they were all petrified of an itty bitty <ok, so it was 5 feet long> snake. I mean, hasn't anybody ever watched nature shows?? sheesh!

We do have copperheads, rattlensnakes, and cottonmouths where I live, and all are venomous pit vipers.

In Mass, where I used to live, we have several species of poisonous spiders but only 2 real poisonous snake, the Timber Rattler and the Northern Copperhead...but after 39 years of living in Mass, mostly in the deep woods, I've never seen either of them.

But it's funny to see this big German Shepherd-Doberman mix chasing a little mouse around while my collie (my other dog) just lays on the deck watching them.

Well, it makes sense, I mean Shepards and Dobbies are watch/guard/attack brreds while collies are herders...now, if you watched to shoo the spiders around in a pen, I'm sure that the Collie would be just right for the job! lol! My dog, an Ibizan hound cross...dumb as a stump. The other day we were walking and she was sniffing to find a pile a poop and I had to point it out to her and she STILL couldn't find it!

 

[Just a Guy]

:salam2:

Shasta is my collie and she will sit and stare at a wall forever. It's like she's trying to will the wall to move so she can herd it. I read that when dogs do that, it's because they are bored and need mental stimulation. I don't know what I can do about that.

I leave the dogs outside and she climbs the fence and heads off into the woods.

Z runs around killing stuff, but Shasta is like that old hippie that just won't let go of the 60's... she's forever in the 'Nam... back in the *!*!*!*!.

 

[JenGiove]

:salam2:

OH MY GAWD! THIS just came flying into my house and scared the ba-jesus right out of me! I ordered my 3yr old into his room and my attempts and catching it to bring back outside with a wire strainer went unsuccessful <he actually tried to sting it! Do you want to know what a stinger sounds like on metal?> I had to grab the wasp and hornet spray....WOW was he huge!!

 

[ShyHijabi]

:salam2:

Mosquitos are worse, IMHO. We have 'skeeters as big as airplanes down here in Alabama. They have running lights and everything. I think they even have their own landing strip at the local airport. There's nothing like having a West Nile Virus Party in your own backyard.

Flying cockroaches are bad too. Those suckers sit on the ceiling and wait for you to walk under them before detaching from the wall and dive bombing you like a Stuka. I swear I saw a swastika painted on a few wings.

Lucky for me at least the dogs will eat them if they see them.

Funniest.Post.Ever.

 

[Just a Guy]

:salam2:

OH MY GAWD! THIS just came flying into my house and scared the ba-jesus right out of me! I ordered my 3yr old into his room and my attempts and catching it to bring back outside with a wire strainer went unsuccessful <he actually tried to sting it! Do you want to know what a stinger sounds like on metal?> I had to grab the wasp and hornet spray....WOW was he huge!!

Wow... I think I would have run screaming in terror if I ever say anything like that up close.

 

[JenGiove]

Wow... I think I would have run screaming in terror if I ever say anything like that up close.

Oh trust me! I wanted to! I'm highly allergic to wasps but my husband was asleep because he works nights and my three year old son was playing around me. What was I supposed to do? I had to swallow my fear, be very careful and then I killed the little <big> sucker as quickly as I could!!

 

[JenGiove]

:salam2: Here is another of the lovely fauna of out dear region. Stink Bugs. UHHHG! They are gross, they swarm, they are everywhere in the summer <though, surprisingly, not so much this year>, they find any little point of entry into your home, they stink when you kill them and when they land on you and start crawling...OMG! They just jive me the heebee jeebees!!

 

[Just a Guy]

:salam2: Here is another of the lovely fauna of out dear region. Stink Bugs. UHHHG! They are gross, they swarm, they are everywhere in the summer <though, surprisingly, not so much this year>, they find any little point of entry into your home, they stink when you kill them and when they land on you and start crawling...OMG! They just jive me the heebee jeebees!!

I get those box elder bugs everywhere. I have trees all around my house and they get in through the tiny cracks that I can't even see. Next thing I know, I wake up at night and the floor is moving like in Indiana Jones.

"Indy... who does the floor move?"

"Bugs... why does it have to be bugs..?"

 

[JenGiove]

I get those box elder bugs everywhere. I have trees all around my house and they get in through the tiny cracks that I can't even see. Next thing I know, I wake up at night and the floor is moving like in Indiana Jones.

"Indy... who does the floor move?"

"Bugs... why does it have to be bugs..?"

"Indy, WHY does the floor move?"
"Give me your bug bomb.."
{Jen takes the bug bomb and drops it in..}
"Bugs, why did it have to be bugs?"
"Halyomorpha halys..very foreign..you bomb first."

 

[Just a Guy]

"Indy, WHY does the floor move?"
"Give me your bug bomb.."
{Jen takes the bug bomb and drops it in..}
"Bugs, why did it have to be bugs?"
"Halyomorpha halys..very foreign..you bomb first."

So long, suckers!

 

[JenGiove]

:salam2:

It is hot here, and muggy so our lovely fauna is out screaming and making hard to even hold a conversation outside due to their racket.

As promised, I took a picture of one of our monster bugs who was taking a break on the stoop of our breezeway. I found a bottle cap for size comparison. Enjoy!

 

[Just a Guy]

:salam2:

It is hot here, and muggy so our lovely fauna is out screaming and making hard to even hold a conversation outside due to their racket.

As promised, I took a picture of one of our monster bugs who was taking a break on the stoop of our breezeway. I found a bottle cap for size comparison. Enjoy!

:salam2:

Yeah, those U-WEE's are going nuts, and the crickets and frogs join them at night. Throw in the neighbor's blind rooster and it's a random animal noise party that keeps everyone awake. Enjoy your insomnia...

 

[JenGiove]

:salam2:

Yeah, those U-WEE's are going nuts, and the crickets and frogs join them at night. Throw in the neighbor's blind rooster and it's a random animal noise party that keeps everyone awake. Enjoy your insomnia...

ROTFL! Lord those crickets are loud! lol! Gotta love living in the sub-Tropics! lol!!!!!! We don't have any roosters though...ALHAMDULILAH!

Insomnia? I take prescription NSAIDS for the Lumbar Stenosis I just got diagnosed with, anti-seizure meds for the epilepsy, central air and a rotary pedestal fan.....what doesn't knock me out from the sedative side effects gets lulled by the white noise...such is my life.

 

[Just a Guy]

ROTFL! Lord those crickets are loud! lol! Gotta love living in the sub-Tropics! lol!!!!!! We don't have any roosters though...ALHAMDULILAH!

Insomnia? I take prescription NSAIDS for the Lumbar Stenosis I just got diagnosed with, anti-seizure meds for the epilepsy, central air and a rotary pedestal fan.....what doesn't knock me out from the sedative side effects gets lulled by the white noise...such is my life.

Well my farmer neighbor (I call him GoatMan because he has goats and I can hear them too) has a blind rooster that crows at any hour of the day or night. I figure he's on international time or something because I'll hear him at 2 AM.

I would get my own goat to trim the backyard but I'm afraid it would eat the dogs. Goats eat anything...

 

[HelpingSoul]

haha .. well i have noticed the mosquitoes bite me the most :\ everytime i check i have a mosquito bite :\

 

[Just a Guy]

haha .. well i have noticed the mosquitoes bite me the most :\ everytime i check i have a mosquito bite :\

The 'skeeters come out at night. Stay indoors after dark or you'll get sucked dry. Those things are relentless. The West Nile Brigade is on the warpath, and they're not stopping until we're all bloodless or fevered.

 

[HelpingSoul]

The 'skeeters come out at night. Stay indoors after dark or you'll get sucked dry. Those things are relentless. The West Nile Brigade is on the warpath, and they're not stopping until we're all bloodless or fevered.

well the humming army has invaded my home and its when i am on my bed to catch some rest that they attack :\ and then i switch on the defence shield

 

[JenGiove]

:salam2:

Regarding 'skeeters...I found this interesting bit of information...<its amazing what we talk about here..lol>

Wondering what attracts mosquitoes to you or other people? Here are several main things everyone should know in order to avoid or to lure these insects.
Carbon Dioxide
Carbon dioxide from the breath of humans and animals helps mosquitoes to find their prey. A burning candle or other fire is another source of carbon dioxide. However, CO2 alone is not enough to attract mosquitoes.

Lactic Acid
Everyone of us releases lactic acid when exercising or consuming particular foods. This chemical is used in some of mosquito traps as an attractant.

Octenol
When people and animals breathe, they exhale mixture of carbon dioxide and octenol, which is actually a type ofalcohol. Octenol is sometimes described as 'cow’s breath in a can', and is a remarkable lure for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes and other biting insects have extremely-sensitive receptors that can detect this chemical from almost 100 feet away.

Body heat
Circulating blood in animals and humans radiates body heat. As mosquitoes have sophisticated heat sensors, they follow body heat and exhaled gases and fly to their target. The exact temperature depends on the type of mosquito.

Moisture
During breathing people also exhale water vapor and perspiration is produced during active movement. Even small amounts of water will attract mosquitoes as it could mean possible blood source or possible breading site.

Movement
Mosquitoes can see their victims from within 30 feet by locating the changes in waves of light around them, caused by moving objects.

Color
Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors, so wearing dark is not the best thing if you want to avoid being bitten. Dark foliage is another attractant.

Sound
Although some of mosquito trap manufacturers state that they use mosquito attracting or repelling sounds, scientists have proven there is no particular sound frequency that would be interesting to mosquitoes.
Scientific experiments show that only one of mentioned sources is not enough for mosquitoes to react – combination of several things as carbon dioxide, lactic acid and octenol attracts mosquitoes best.
One of the studies by entomologist Daniel L. Kline showed that worn human socks alone attracted very few mosquitoes. However, a significant increase occurred to CO2-baited traps when combined with a worn sock for most mosquitoes, including species of Aedes, Anopheles, Coquillettidia, Culex, Culiseta, and Psorophora.

I had no idea what Octenol was so I looked THAT up..

Octenol is formed during oxidative breakdown of linoleic acid.

Uh oh...what's linoleic acid?.....*keyboard clatter*

Linoleic acid belongs to one of the two families of essential fatty acids that humans and other animals must ingest for good health, because the body requires them for various biological processes, but cannot synthesize them from other food components.

The word "linoleic" comes from the Greek word linon (flax). Oleic means "of, relating to, or derived from oil or olive" or "of or relating to oleic acid" because saturating the n-6 double bond produces oleic acid.

Sources:
Safflower oil 78%
Grape seed oil 73%
Poppyseed oil 70%
Sunflower oil 68%
Hemp oil 60%
Corn oil 59%
Wheat germ oil 55%
Cottonseed oil 54%
Soybean oil 51%
Walnut oil 51%
Sesame oil 45%
Rice bran oil 39%
Pistachio oil 32.7%
Peanut oil 32% [18] Canola oil 21%
Chicken fat 18-23% [19] Egg yolk 16%
Linseed oil 15%
Lard 10%
Olive oil 10%
Palm oil 10%
Cocoa butter 3%
Macadamia oil 2%
Butter 2%
Coconut oil 2%

So, I'm sorry to say....for all of you who love Olive oil..........better buy DEET...lol!

 

[Um Ibrahim]

This thread made me LOL!

As salamo alaikome

Inshallah all of my brothers and sisters here at TTI are in good health and Iman!

Ok this thread is going to sound completely insane! I have to tell you what I have discovered in the last year that I have lived in Morocco.

Can someone tell me why the flies in this country are so stubborn?????????????

Seriously!!!!! I thought it was my imagination at first so I ignored it for the most part but I gotta tell ya.......I dont think its my imagination anymore!

For example, the flies in the United States will leave you alone if you shoo them away with your arm or hand or whatever. Not here in Morocco!!!!! No sir let me tell you!!!! If you shoo these flies away they will leave for a moment then come at you dive bombing with a vengence! It is SO annoying I cant begin to tell you!!

My theory as to why this happens here and not in the USA? Well in the USA when a fly doesnt cooperate and really gets on your nerves that flies days are numbered (meaning they dont live much longer) but here in Morocco I have noticed most of the people rarely even shoo the flies. In fact it seems they find it very normal for the flies to land on their face or any other place the fly wants to land with little or no interuption at all! SO flies in the USA have come to realize over time that it is not in their best interest to bother humans whereas the flies here in Morocco have not ever met the likes of ME!!!!!!!

Come on flies............BRING IT!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:


The crazy lady has just left the building. You may now resume your normal viewing. :wink:

wa salam

But seriously I'm deathly afraid of bugs, insects, and all animals with claws and pointy teeth lol! OOOH and spiders, just the thought of you describing that giant spider almost made me scream right now lol. I think I would've come running back if i was you as soon as I saw a big spider like that. My little sis went to Africa couple years ago, and she was telling me about those flying cockroaches too. But worst of all, she said once while she was sleeping a snake fell on top of her! A snake!!!!!