They’re Ba-ack

The termites, that is.

They began swarming down from the patio window and, simultaneously, the bedroom window yesterday afternoon.

The products I’ve been using appear to have slowed them down, discouraged them for a time, but not completely quelled their nature to swarm, mate, search for a location to start a new colony.

With no regard for interfering with their love life/search for a new home, I foamed and sprayed ‘em to death and fired off another missive to Nurse Ratched and Corporate.

Corporate replied, “Issues such as these do not need to be emailed to the corporate office. The Community Staff can handle any and all issues related to pest control.”

I’m going to wait until I calm down before I reply, something along the line of “So whose responsibility is it when Staff does not handle the issues?”

I imagine no area is free of infestations of one kind or another and, because this area used to be horse farms, orange groves, and we’re in a valley, surrounded by hills, mountains and fields, we’re subject to more than our share.

Someone spotted a snake the other day – not the first time, and ants are a big problem for quite a few residents, including my next door neighbor.

I also recently learned an interesting fact … this area has ties to the Donner Party, the pioneers who were stuck in the mountains the winter of 1846-1847 and resorted to cannibalism to survive. One of the survivors ended up in this area, prospered and became one of its biggest landowners.

That’s got nothing to do with pests, I don’t think. Just an interesting fact I thought I’d mention, though there are rumors that some of the land in surrounding areas is cursed, bad things happen on the land, and ghostly apparitions have been spotted on some of the streets late at night.

If I had to choose between ghostly apparitions, living on cursed land, or termites, I think I’d take the apparitions because they’re outside, not inside, and I’m rarely ever out at night.

At any rate, Ratched’s reply to my latest missive was a quasi apology for the “pest control” guy not showing up last Wednesday, but that “I have an appointment for this Wednesday May 4th, with a pest control company who specializes in termites. My regular pest control guy does not treat for termites.”

Tell me something I don’t already know and hadn’t pointed out to her at least three times before, in the Residents'/Management meeting and subsequent emails – that her pest control guy did not treat the unit and cannot treat the unit because he is not equipped to handle termites … that a termite specialist needs to be called in.

So, I’ve scrapped plans to drive out-of-the area to mall walk tomorrow and instead will be once again waiting for this “pest control company who specializes in termites”.

If they don’t show up tomorrow, I’m taking it as a sign that, much as I like this unit, I should open myself to the idea of relocating, and my next missive to Nurse Ratched will be a request for information as to when my lease expires because, “due to the intolerable living conditions created by the termite infestation” I will not be renewing.