…in honour of the finale of one of the best shows on TV? or is he just getting ready to fumigate? With layers and layers of clothing on, Harry prepared to spray the roof for nasty termites. Our roof is framed with wood, the ceilings and walls are all made of wood (a lovely real wood panelling of sorts) with exposed beams in my favourite room. But here, in the freakin’ jungle, one must be ever vigilant or the tiniest creatures will prevail. It’s their tirelessness that is so impressive, so consuming, so relentlessly insidious. That and the fact they are organized into armies which makes them so formidable.
Not only is the frame wooden, but the roof itself is corrugated, what, is it tin? Galvanized something or other. Whatever, it’s a roof that is screwed into the frame, or, for the older sections, nailed in. So the first order of business is removal of the roof.
Think about that for just a second. Have you ever had to take off the roof to spray for bugs? Then you sweep the crap that’s collected up there. Then you can spray. You soak. Deluge until it all drips into the house proper.
So, in addition to removing the roof, one also has to empty the house and cover what can’t be moved with sheets. Then stand by to clean it all up afterward.
Needless to say, it wasn’t a fun day. It took so much longer than any of us imaged, and there was plenty of ‘j’acuse”.
Time got away from him, we were baaaaaaaaadly coordinated, and he was up there through the heat of the day. It was scary, really, to see his red face and sweat drenched sweater. But Harry was not going to take in any of the dastardly chemicals he was spraying. He was going to protect himself from carcinogens, even if it was hell to do so. So we struggled through a ridiculous process and hope we can find a better way next time.
Originally published September 28, 2013