It's a Cinch

It's a new year. It's winter. You'd think I'd be done with bugs. Not so. In the fall, not wanting to say goodbye to two beautiful tropical trees, I brought them inside. Yes, I had small bugs flying around. That's to be expected. This isn't my first time at the bug rodeo.

But yesterday was different. I was climbing into bed when I saw what appeared to be a line of dirt marching across my green shag mat. To my horror, I realized it was bugs. I had put out a cup of red wine as an offering to the fruit flies that came with my last bunch of bananas. But these things. They weren't flying. They were on a different mission.

For one thing, they looked exactly like the cinch bugs on my lawn this summer. The wily (forgive the pun) buggers had hitched a ride on one tree. I hadn't noticed them so much in the fall, but when I approached the plant last night, I was surrounded by a swarming cloud. It was bug Armageddon, and that tree was ground zero.

I hauled the culprit out to the deck and into the -20C weather. A perfect storm of bugs rose up and tried to make it back inside, but I quickly shut the door in their small insect faces. Then I took out my vacuum and found every tiny critter on the floor, upstairs and down. I spared the spiders, because we have a deal that when they take over the world, I'll be considered a friend.

Obviously, the cinch bugs had been looking for grass. My fluffy mat must have seemed appropriate. So far, I haven't seen any more of the ground crawlers. I'm hoping the few air born ones are fruit flies. But if you don't see me around over the next few days, please call me. The cinch bugs may be launching a third wave. And I'm not sure they won't win.