The Key to Gnat Protection

Spiders.

Yes spiders.

You may not understand or even hear my tone of voice but perhaps the following explanation will help.

Spiders have been a nuisance throughout the summer. Not the huge ground spiders, but the small ones that build invisible webs across any opening in the forest. I have to keep my arms up when walking so that their webs don't entangle my face and body. The feeling of web on skin is like the sensation of non-bubble chewing gum that you couldn't resist the temptation of blowing into the bubble that is now cemented your face. Except this feeling extends past the outer edges of your lips. Therefore, as beautiful as the spiders here are, there has still been frustration with their presence. Until recently, that is.

An even greater frustration are the gnats. They fly around your head in colonies, trying desperately to get into every orifice they can. One gets used to repeatedly inhaling, swallowing and digesting them. Eyelid reflexes also increase as attempts are made to close eyes before the Kamikaze gnats bury themselves between skin and eyeball.

Then, a discovery was made. While admiring a perfectly constructed web a few weeks ago, I noticed some small flies stuck in it. I had not noticed them before, but then realized why. The gnats around my head were flying into the web I was looking at. I realized the full potential of the spider's creation when I backed up and counted over thirty gnats stuck to the web and no longer buzzing around my head. Peace had been made with the spiders.

Now whenever anyone on the crew or I have a gnat problem, we seek a web and admire it closely in exchange for some silence.