My Annual Bug Mystery

As you must know by now, any bug that makes its way into my home must be identified. Drives me crazy otherwise.

Right now it's some sort of flying-beetle--in all this hot weather, it's the only bug I've seen coming into the apartment over and over. We had one moth a couple weeks back, but otherwise--just this frakking beetle. A beetle which, I might add, likes flying at me.

I tried to get Haley to kill one yesterday for me, but she thinks it beneath her hunting abilities. She'll watch them, but that's it. Then Fernando walked in and whacked it with his croc. (Crocs, by the way, aren't very effective at killing bugs.) I can kill my own bugs, I just don't like to cause I feel like a Bad Vegan. But later last night I did kill one because... well how can you fall asleep with a bug in your room that you know favors hanging out with you?

Now I think there's one hiding in my Kleenex box. I wish it would at least sit out where I can see it and identify it. It looks like this, but black or dark brown, so I wonder if it's some sort of tree pest. The trees 'round here have taken a beating the last couple years.

...

Aha! I was about to give up, but then I pursued the "bark beetle" angle and I think I've got it. A brown spruce beetle. Well, now I know it's a pest, so I won't feel bad for just killing another two. There's still plenty to go around.

Friend Mae, who holds books sacred, would I think shudder at my bug killing technique, which involves (a) a well placed Kleenex, and then (b) a well placed book. Tomes of choice tonight were a book about Prince, and White Teeth. Now maybe I should turn off the light in my room so they'll leave me alone.