Small
One of these days I might spend some time cataloging the spiders who call my place home. I saw a new one this morning on the screen door. One I’d never seen before, a crab spider, of the genus Xysticus. According to the Wikipedia page about them, they’re ambush hunters, which means no webs to grab me in the dark. I have no idea what he thought he might find on the screen, but I’m guessing he was going somewhere else and merely stopped to rest.
I’m also plagued by ants, although I’m not actually plagued by spiders. Generally speaking they’re fairly ubiquitous. It’s unfair to call it a plague. So, the ant plague is probably its own thing. They’re tiny things, not fire ants as far as I can tell. The cat food is of particular interest. They find it almost as quickly as the cats. I’ve taken to putting the cat food in a plate of water to keep the ants away. I’m also going to mix up a spray of vinegar and essential oil, peppermint probably. I did the same thing when I chased away the swallows.
There are lots of poisons I could use, but they’re broad spectrum killers. I’d prefer not to decimate the local insect population if I can help it. There are bait traps I’ve used inside, but bait, by nature is attractive, and there’s no telling who might eat it. So, if I can find discreet places to put it, I might try that. In the end, however, I have a feeling the insects will win because small has survival advantages. You’re hard to see, you can live on a little, and in the end it’s the colony that counts, not you.