Keel Big Brown Bugs

For the umpteenth time, pest control has come to spray my jacquemontia, which, for some reason, is being infested with mealy bugs - lots and lots of mealy bugs. I believe the mealy bugs came with the tomatoes I had planted - which I placed, in pots, directly in front of the jacquemontia because tomatoes needs bees to "pollinate" or whatever it is tomatoes do, and the flowers on the jacquemontia attracted bees. Made all the sense in the world to me at the time... The tomatoes ended up dying - but not before we could harvest a small handful to eat - the mealy bugs destroyed the plants. Last week I noticed that the mealy bugs had, yet again, infested the jacquemontia and I called and made an appointment for pest control to come. I was telling Appuk - our fabulous gardener - that the jacquemontia had to be cut back before pest control came because otherwise there was no way they were going to be able to spray it, effectively.

Appuk said, "Oh, yes, Madam, also have blue pellets for big brown bugs in front. Come. I may show you." I went out front with Appuk and he told me that "blue pellets need to keel big brown bugs, here and here and here. Flowers are keeled." Okay, then. When pest control comes to spray the mealy bugs, I will have them put out "blue pellets" to "keel big brown bugs." Pest control came. They sprayed - and by spray, I mean saturated! - the jacquemontia. Pest control will have to come back in ten days to spray again because the eggs will hatch and the nasty little mealy bugs will be back... Pest control knew exactly what I needed when I told them to put "blue pellets" in all of the flower beds out front - and they sprinkled the "blue pellets" for me.

Yesterday, Appuk told me "no water two days, Madam, to keel bugs." Fine. You are the gardener, Appuk. You know better than me what needs to be done. Makes sense. If you are laying down "blue pellets" you don't want them washed away by watering - ditto for the jacquemontia that had been sprayed. "Come. I may show you." So I went out front and Appuk pointed out this huge nasty mutant looking brown thing - good grief - it was big enough for a small child to ride! And it was ugleeeey! But it was not a "big brown bug," it is a "big brown slug!" The blue pellets are doing what they are supposed to do, though, which is to "keel big brown bugs." I learn something new every day, and apparently, in this part of the world slugs are bugs...