Choose Your Phobia

Out in the guinea pig house, I've never had a fly problem, and I'm not sure why. It was very loosely screened in with a marginally level wooden screen door.

Since I renovated it with new paint outside, removing the screening and having actual opening and closing windows installed and a proper white heavy aluminum door (just like a real house!), I have flies, and I finally figured out why.

The proper white heavy aluminum door attracts them and they land on it in droves, so when I open that door...hey presto! Flies inside!

But they never seem to stay long, and looking up, I found the answer. 

Sweeping the webs and cobwebs (I think there's a difference but I'm not exactly sure what it is) from the upper corners and ceiling was always Gomez' job, and he's been gone for a year and a half. I had just been thinking about getting after it, but hadn't gotten around to it, yet. Oh, I clean the cages every six days, and sweep the floor daily, but I'm short and ceilings that look like the world's best haunted mansion don't really bother me.

Up in the far corner is a massive funnel-weaver web, prolly about 2 ft square. I've never knocked on the door to meet the occupant and don't plan to. Then there are various webs and whatnot that are occupied by other lesser spoods; a few small garden spiders, some smallish wolf spiders, the usual cast of forest-dwelling eight-legged creatures.

I had been looking for non-toxic fly killer/repellent but realized...I don't really need it. 

I'd still be concerned about toxicity for my tiny-lunged livestock, since most of the windows are closed to allow the ac units to keep the house comfortable, and anyway...the spiders seem to be doing a fine job.

In fact, I've left three funnel-weavers to their corners in the main house to serve the same purpose. 

Flies are gross and carry diseases. They also bite, especially here in Texas, where a good portion of the year, the only moisture they will find lives under the skin of mammals. We call it "blood".

Spiders just want to be left alone to do spider shit. If they come face to face with a human, they are just as horrifed as the human. Generally, if you get bitten by a spider, you've stuck your hand or foot where you weren't looking, or you rolled over on it in your sleep.

Spiders in your bed. You're welcome.

So, yanno. Life rarely gives you a choice between something obviously good and something obviously bad. Most of Life is just figuring out which of the choices will financially or mentally do the least harm to you and your loved ones. 

At least for now, I choose Team Spider. 

Oh, look! There's one! 

OK. 

You can go back inside now. 

Please and thank you.