Red Water, Shadows of Camelot Crossing by Lisa Courtaway

Author:Lisa Courtaway [COURTAWAY, LISA]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781737422204
Publisher: Lisa Courtaway

Nineteen

Critter Getter Dave arrived within a couple of hours, and Hazel couldn't help but wonder what her room looked like by that time. She envisioned the entire room with every inch taken over by the bugs. Dave started his probe outside at the back of the house, where Hazel's bedroom window was. The swarm had begun to dissipate, taking flight to other areas around the yard and woods.

After looking things over in Hazel's room, he told Mom and Dad, through a mask, "There is a small gap between the frame and the wall. That's their entry point. I don't have an answer yet as to why they were drawn to that spot. There's no food source in the bedroom, so it really doesn't make much sense yet. But I sealed the crack so no more can get in. I'm gonna get my ladder and take a look. I'll also look at the tree outside the window and see if it holds any clues."

After checking a few more things, Dave descended the ladder and joined the anxious family on the back lawn. "Well, folks, what you have here is called a loveliness—it’s the official term for a large gathering of ladybugs. I've honestly never seen anything like it in all my years. It isn't uncommon to have a swarm of flying ants or termites inside the house. I see that stuff all the time, but this is a first for me!"

Mom cringed at the thought of termites. Dad said, "Well, I guess ladybugs are better than termites."

"Yep, you'd be right about that. Sometimes, after an unseasonable cold snap, folks will see clusters of ladybugs inside. They move toward warmth. Cooler temperatures sure sound nice right now," Dave said, wiping the sweat out of his eyes. "But given the heat, it doesn't make sense for them to have swarmed the house. Now that they can no longer get inside, I can start the removal. With termites and ants, people don't care much about being humane. They just want the things gone, so we fumigate and vacuum up their carcasses."

"You're going to kill them?" said Hazel.

"Well, that was my next question. The way I see it, there are a few ways to go about removing the buggers. I can open the window and use some nets to remove as many as I can and just toss them out. Some are bound to escape, but I'll do my best. Hate to say it, but you'll likely be finding the darn things for some time to come, either alive or dead."

"Stands to reason," said Dad.

"So, if you don't know why they came into the house, there is no guarantee they won't come back? There's nothing you can do, like use a spray or a bomb? Anything?" Mom inquired, still unsure about entire situation.

"Can't rightly say why they showed up. Typically, they would only show up en masse to feed, usually on aphids, which I didn't see signs of in the tree. Pretty sure you haven't got a roomful of aphids now, do you, kid?" Dave directed his inquiry to Hazel.

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