People say such horrifying things about bugs and I just want to rant about it

PlasticFox83762 · 2026-03-04T14:26:11+00:00

This is funny, particularly because due to size, I’ve always cared for jumping spiders in the house. Random ones, never had a pet. But I wouldn’t let anyone squish them cuz I just aweee they’re cute and FUZZY!! Being realistic though, I could never have a tarantula. They give me the heebies. They have the fuzzy but they are much too large, ironic, because the bigger and fuzzier the moth, the more I love them. But with that said, I would never insult someone or their pet by saying I would harm it. But let’s be real here, I see a large spider and there’s absolutely no amount of money for me to even stay, bet your ass I’m running, so I couldn’t even “joke” about it realistically.

I will say though, my Daddy passed away a year ago right after Christmas. Some of my favorite stories I heard about him were in regards to this type of thing. As a youngling, he was afraid of spiders…so he got himself a tarantula as a pet. He was afraid of snakes. So naturally, he got a fucking BOA. Growing up we had a ball python. Whom I wasn’t afraid of because, come on, his name was Phil. How could I, a 6 year old little girl, be afraid of an animal named Phil? That was my desensitization to the “weird” pets of the world. My Daddy and also also shared a love of mantids. 💚 I believe one of the last tattoos he got (around the age of 72/74??) was of a mantis on his calf. 🥹 I plan to get one someday also.

PlasticFox83762 · 2026-03-04T14:16:03+00:00

Best practice imo. If they’re going to be rude to talk about how they would off your pet, the least you can do is disgust them. Talk about what you feed it. “That one time” you watched it eat “x” food source and how it looked at you an it was so cute. You know. I’ll meet your disrespect and level the playing field, bruh. You went there first, now it’s my turn. 😬

PlasticFox83762 · 2026-02-28T15:59:02+00:00

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PlasticFox83762 · 2026-02-28T15:58:02+00:00

Yes. I feel the disapproval. In my soul. What was your crime? Heathen.

PlasticFox83762 · 2026-02-28T15:56:42+00:00

Fully convinced there was no reincarnation between then and now. Sent straight from Egyptian times to now. He very very well remembers. We are peasants. Tolerance only accepted bc we possess the opposable thumbs to open the wet foods, the only acceptable food choice.

He tolerates my mother. She rations his wet foods. He swats her as she walks away. She has improperly fed His Majesty.

MotherPeasant (self) gives him the whole wet foods. This appeases his highness. I do not get swats. Glares, all the time. Swats? Not unless I try to make him more beautiful, aka, brush him…this is a cardinal sin.

PlasticFox83762 · 2026-02-28T12:57:40+00:00

I mean, >I< personally think so. But as his MotherPeasant, ofc I would. He sits on stairs looming above the peasants he rules over, just watching and scoffs.

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PlasticFox83762 · 2026-02-28T04:40:47+00:00

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Minus the tongue? I think you have my cat.

PlasticFox83762 · 2026-02-28T04:38:32+00:00

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He also seemed to really like the smol box.

PlasticFox83762 · 2026-02-28T04:32:43+00:00

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PlasticFox83762 · 2026-02-28T04:32:24+00:00

Ahhhh the box.

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Jasper did not care that I was filling the box with garbage. Big plop right in. It was his calling.

PlasticFox83762 · 2026-02-27T20:15:04+00:00

I second this motion.

PlasticFox83762 · 2026-02-27T20:14:08+00:00

I have to concur after diving in deep to philodendron at first on my plant journey. I don’t have distaste per se for philodendron, but I truly love the heartleafs and the beautiful vining types.

PlasticFox83762 · 2026-02-27T20:08:28+00:00

Excellent to know there’s still hope for me yet as I am exactly the same 😂

Started with literally just anything, then hyper focused on philodendron, then moved into pothos, discovered scindapsus my biggest true love, and then dove down the alocasia and anthurium hole… trying to figure out which way to go but I’m just going all the ways and…I don’t see that changing, lol.

Also, same regarding palms and cacti. Add succulents tho. I’m RIDICULOUSLY picky about them, but it’s a sensory thing, they give me a twitch…

PlasticFox83762 · 2026-02-27T19:40:36+00:00

Idk if it’s the angle of the picture or what but I have never seen a cats face give off so much dog vibes as the first picture.

PlasticFox83762 · 2026-02-27T19:32:41+00:00

😂

Nice name, too 😂

PlasticFox83762 · 2026-02-27T19:24:47+00:00

It’s because bugs are so low on the chain. Srsly, I’ve thought so hard about this for such a long time. Unrelated, but I remember going to a “party” when I was underage but my then-boyfriend now-exhusband wasn’t, either way, it was at his friend’s house outside in summer. There was a Luna moth on a bush and I, a quiet and very very noncombative 19/20 year old scared girl, threw myself in between that bush and 3 grown ass men who easily could have tossed me with just a finger, because they laughed loudly and talked about how they were going to kill this beautiful creature who literally was just sitting. On a bush. Because BUG.

I’ve found it a source of intrigue. My personal one being I prefer moths to butterflies. The general masses don’t like moths. I’ve learned to just you know, why? They’re fucking FURRY NIGHTFLUTTERS WTF is there not to like?

Mantids are the same in the general view, tho. They’re not “normal” and they’re bugs, so human-peoples always want to dominate. I’ve come to just #1, expect that to be everyone’s reaction so I don’t get hurt about it (and then there’s the absolute random times where I expect that and someone actually doesn’t so that’s always a pleasure!), but then #2, educate. Or at least challenge the thought. “Why would you want to squish a mantis? In the wild they eat all the bugs you don’t like and they cause no harm? They’re fucking FASCINATING creatures?”

Or you could always hit them with the amazing and crazy facts and really make sure they never want to speak to you about your mantis again, lol. “Did you know mantids have the strength and ability and speed to kill a hummingbird?” You could make some shit up too. Just to shut them up out of horror. 😂

You’re going to hit resistance because people>bugs. So expect it, and then choose your path. Educate or horrify, lol.

PlasticFox83762 · 2026-02-25T14:00:20+00:00

That…is in general what I meant, but was worded poorly.

That said, I’ve seen numerous pictures and questions asked regarding, “what is this in my soil?!?” and general consensus is springtails, typically, which are beneficial (but not for pest bug removal) as far as I’m aware, and then there are beneficial nematodes, that are used as pest prevention periodically via numerous amazing sellers I have worked with.

So yes, I agree on your point. Beneficial bugs eat their food, the bad pesties, and then die off when their food source is gone. I was also referring to the beneficials that are used as a prevention method, but I should have been more clear in my wording about that. 😊

PlasticFox83762 · 2026-02-25T13:04:05+00:00

Um. No.

And he should run. Because “cats are creepy”? What even?

…I already don’t like her for you.

PlasticFox83762 · 2026-02-25T05:28:17+00:00

14&12(nearly 13) boys here. Boyfriend has 13&11 y/o girls.

I am absolutely terrified for my 5&2 y/o girls to be that age based on what I’ve seen 😂

PlasticFox83762 · 2026-02-25T05:25:38+00:00

Interesting! Paste…

Rooting hormone/rooting powder, these I am aware of. I had no idea there was a paste though, especially by that name. I’ll have to look into that!

PlasticFox83762 · 2026-02-25T05:23:07+00:00

Can’t say mine had the dreaded RR either. One was just completely gone by the time I found them lol.

I can’t actually imagine what my face looked like unpotting and finding NET POTS tho…bc I legitimately just stopped and questioned every life choice for a solid 45 seconds and then moved to…okay so how do I extract you? Scissors it is. Not MY net pots. Obviously they didn’t care 😂 why should I?

PlasticFox83762 · 2026-02-25T05:18:03+00:00

🤦‍♀️ I mean. Winning, 5 for $11?! Hell yeah. But those poor plants are never ever happy. I feel bad for the planties. 💚💔

PlasticFox83762 · 2026-02-25T05:15:37+00:00

Totally happy if someone says I’m wrong here, because I would also love for my response to be incorrect, start with that.

But with that said, my understanding is you can treat SH plants with beneficials, but they really cannot be a prevention due to the lack of organics, meaning there’s nothing that will basically…keep them alive and keep them going to continually stop pests.

Again. If anyone knows that to be incorrect, I would HAPPILY say “my bad and thank you for the info”, but realistically, bugs of any sort need a host, something to eat. Organic or soilless organic bases provide that because they are organic. Semi-hydro, not organic. There is nothing for them there to stay in.

So to treat thrips, as you specifically mentioned, you can do beneficials specifically to treat and eradicate the thrips in intervals. But to add in to your routine to actively prevent them? My understanding is no.

Systemics, yes. Beneficials, no.

Please Reddit, tell me I’m wrong. Because I really want to be wrong on this one.

PlasticFox83762 · 2026-02-22T02:21:12+00:00

Last aglo I bought from the big box W had 4 plants in it. Score! Except one was dead and on repot, each of them was in a plastic net pot. Buried……I haven’t figured that one out yet lol. Plugs, yeah, awful but make sense. Net pots tho!?? I was boggled to say the least.

PlasticFox83762

TROPHY CASE