Creepy Crawlies!

Mother wanted to know about creepy crawlies.  Ask and you shall receive!

Spiders.  Yes they exist and there are some whoppers.  I may have run across a tarantula back in training but it managed to escape my tennis shoe rocketing at it.  I’ve found to gigantic daddy long legs in my bed recently which is unnerving.  Other than that, I’ve killed a couple large black ones the size of half dollars.

Cockroaches.  Back in training when I used a latrine, there were lots.  The bottoms of latrines are ideal breeding grounds for cucarachas.  Therefore, once every couple of months, the latrines are fumigated to try to control the infestation.  Where I live now is generally much cleaner and we have a toilet so not an issue.

Mosquitos.  Public enemy number one.  Obviously there are billions of mosquitos all over Central America.  Of the many varieties, Nicaragua is lucky to have both the type that bites during the day which carries dengue and the kind that bite at night which has malaria.  This of course is a tiny population.  Malaria rates are so low in Nicaragua that only 1 PCV has contracted it in the past 3 years.  In addition, we’re heading into the dry season now so mosquitos are few.  That being said, at home I still ALWAYS sleep under a mosquito net.  Not really because I’m scared of mosquitos but more to keep out the other multi-legged friends from sleeping with me.  Before going to bed, I have to shake out my sheet to make sure nothing is there.

Sounds like fun right?  Crank up that A/C or heat for me!