One day I was threatened by a scorpion. This was the first one I’d seen that wasn’t in a bottle of tequila. He was about an inch long and had crept inside our front door. When I encouraged him outside with my broom, he waved his tail at me. David and Goliath: I surrendered, he retreated. I found him a week later, dead, under our wood basket beside the fireplace.

Repelling insects was a hurdle to be passed when we first moved in. Now we have old-fashioned metal chains hanging at front door and back door; fine-mesh mosquito screens fitted to all opening windows, and sonic plug-ins which send ants crazy. We have learned the hard way on summer nights to turn off lights and close doors behind us when we wander onto the terrace to spot shooting stars, otherwise the ceiling will be dotted with mosquitoes waiting to scent our luscious flesh when we return inside.

Ants outside = good. Ants inside = bad. Ants outside on the terrace are the most efficient vacuum cleaners, picking up bread crumbs and the general detritus of eating outdoors. In fact we seem to have several types of ant sharing our outdoor life, ranging from tiny ones as big as newsprint up to chunky placid ants about an inch long. None take any notice of us.

5 to remember
la hormiga – ant
la mosca – mosquito
la puerta – door
la estrella – star
el escorpíon – scorpion

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
David & Goliath: the #insects in #Spain punch above their weight http://wp.me/p3dYp6-2h via @Spanish_Valley