Flight Night
Termites swarming under a light on their flight night
Tonight I realized too late that is was a termite night. Having left a couple of solar-powered lights on inside I was on the veranda and our ill-fitting screens were no defense. By the time I came in and saw what was happening I had hundreds of termites swarming around the bare light bulbs and subsequently dropping their gossamer wings on the floor, countertops, clean dishes, everywhere; the forgotten remnants of their flight night. Having thus shed their wings the termites then dropped to the above list of places; tiny wriggling piglets squirming about in search of rotting wood to eagerly devour. I sprayed copious amounts of insecticide and, with the chemical smell still lingering in my nasal passages, I turned off the offending lights and went to bed to read under the protection of my mosquito net. I’ll clean up the fallout in the morning.
Chemical warfare fallout
As I lay in bed, I heard the excited giggles of children and adults; a tribal family night of sorts. Before retiring I had seen their scattered fires and watched them assembling, some with flash lights, some brandishing torches. They too had been alerted to the termites taking their solitary flight on this moonless night. Time was short. They excitedly scurried about to gather the squirming worm-like creatures which, after being dry-roasted in a pan over their fires, they delightedly consumed. I decided to stay in bed and read. I was happy and so were they.
Midnight snack? No thanks, I’ll stay in bed and read!
