2.1" and Kissing Bugs

Final rain reading above. Now it's back to hot, and for a while, miserable humidity.

Have been battling Kissing bugs, Triatoma sanguisuga (left) this spring. Last year they showed up and bit me in my bed. I caught the culprit and identified it. Freaked out bc of the Chagas Disease connection, host for parasite Trypanosoma cruzi - had a blood test that was negative. Fumigated the house twice and thought that was the end of it. But it seems to be a seasonal thing, they return in May and June. Have caught four of them in the house and sent them to Robyn at the Texas Department of State Health Services lab. Turns out three were negative for the Chagas disease parasite, but one was positive - bummer. Now I'm paranoid about sleeping - that's when they get you. Was hoping to avoid using poison and find them in the house before they found me, but I may have been bitten again last night, so I will probably fog the house again. Interesting thing about fogging is that it killed about 20 scorpions in the house. The flea bomb pyrethin seems to really get them - I sort of hate killing the scorpions, they haven't bothered me so why should I bother them. Maybe they eat Kissing bugs.

Raining!

Left the Farm at 5:30 this morning, radio station must have been hit by lightning so went off for 30 min  - was 30 min late leaving for work. It was raining off and on during the night, and a big rain just as I left the house. From work I see on Don's weather station it is 1.47". First rain in many months, our area has been designated an "exceptional" drought area (worse than extreme).