I Am Unable to Reply to Comments, and I'm Sorry

Visitors to this blog need to know that Blogger will no longer allow me to reply to your comments and questions on my posts, or even make my own comments. I understand your frustration, as it is mine, also. I can sometimes reply in a different browser than I normally use (Mozilla Firefox), but even that seems unreliable. Eventually, I want to have a dedicated author and writer website, where I can transfer this blog. Until then, I appreciate your understanding and patience. Let me address a few recurring themes, though.

I am forced to moderate comments because of a ridiculous amount of spam, mostly attempts at self-promotion by pest control companies, but many are other business interests that have no relation to the subject matter of this blog. I try and go through pending comments at least once per week. I will only delete comments if they contain profanity or defamatory content. If people have stories they want to share, good or bad, I am happy to entertain them. I appreciate what are mostly kind and appreciative comments. Thank you.

"Does it bite?" and "Will it hurt me/my pets/plants, etc?" are recurring queries. If I do not mention that the creature is threatening, then it is not, provided you do not handle it or try to kill it. There is always the possibility that you do not see the insect or arachnid and squash it accidentally, or it gets trapped in clothing...The more aware you are, the less likely you will have negative encounters with any animal.

"Can I post a picture...?" is also a query I receive routinely. I wish I was able to allow that, but the potential of hidden malware, even in links to images, prohibits this. What I can recommend instead is sharing your images on a website like iNaturalist or Bugguide. Both websites (and a complementary app in the case of iNaturalist) are free to join. The only danger is in getting addicted to everyone else's observations. Even Facebook interest groups, like "Insect ID," and Twitter (X), and Instagram are viable avenues for learning what your mystery creature is. The beauty of those other paths of inquiry is that you can receive multiple opinions, from professional entomologists and amateur naturalists alike.

I am using Google-generated advertising here for a meager revenue stream. I apologize for the intrusion of that advertising, but my former company sponsors no longer exist. I welcome alternatives to those ads.

Thank you again for your loyalty, and for tolerating the imperfections of this blog. I do plan on retaining the archive of posts at this URL for the forseeable future.

Still Unable to Reply to Comments

Friends, I am still unable to reply to comments, even using a different browser. I am so sorry. I can do so "anonymously," in M.S. Edge, but then I have to approve my own comment! If anyone knows how to resolve this and can explain in as non-technical a manner as possible, please let me know. No answers in online forums are terribly helpful, nor current. Thank you.

Technical Difficulties With Blog Comments and Replies

I want to apologize to anyone who has left comments on any of my posts within the last few months. I don't always remember to "approve" them regularly, but a different issue has also cropped up....

Blogger is no longer allowing me to REPLY to comments, nor even post my own comments. If any of you have had similar issues and found a way to resolve them, please let me know. In the meantime, please understand that I would reply to comments if I was able. It is quite possible I will have to resurrect this blog on some other platform, though I would keep the current posts archived here. I welcome suggestions for other platforms besides WordPress, which I found not to be very intuititve for people who are not tech-savvy to begin with. Thank you.

EDIT: Strangely, I am able to answer comments if I use a different browser than Firefox. I am going to leave this post up if only to remind me to start using Edge as my browser when I moderate and reply to comments.

A Note to Pest Control Companies Trying to Use This Blog for Personal Gain

I have the "moderate comments" option on this blog fully operational, to eliminate spam, profanity, and other rude comments. Overwhelmingly, the offenders whose comments I swat most often are representatives of pest control companies that are seeking free advertising by including a link to their website and, maybe, a token compliment on a given post. I have a few words for these folks.

Those kind souls who actually take the time to read my blog understand that I never give pest control advice, for many reasons. Number one, the whole intention of this blog is to create a better understanding and appreciation of arthropods, and change attitudes from a "kill first, ask questions later" mentality to one of tolerance and pest prevention. Number two, I must reduce my own liability and vulnerability to legal action for dispensing advice that could go horribly wrong. My own financial protection has to be a concern, though I wish it was not necessary. Pest control companies have this as their number one priority, or they should. Lastly, my goal is to save my readers from unnecessary expenditures for pest control professionals, over-the-counter chemical treatments, and bogus products like "ultrasonic" repellent devices. They are largely a waste of money.

Another tactic that pest control companies have is to contact me suggesting that "your readers may be interested in x-subject or y-product or z-service," can you please post what amounts to a guest blog post on our company's behalf. No thank you. Pest control companies that are truly responsible, more customer-centered and less profit-crazed, and that honestly care about the environmental consequences of pest control, are welcome to e-mail me to discuss potential advertising on my blog. Advertising they would pay for, demonstrating their like-minded commitment to an educated consumer base. You better come armed with an A+ Better Business Bureau rating, and a host of customer recommendations, too. Naturally, I would be doing my own background checks to make sure our philosophies mesh.

Please note that my current blog sponsors are BioQuip Products and After Bite products, both of which are independent businesses that are pro-outdoor recreation and discovery and education. "Bug Eric" is all about encouraging readers to at least periodically unplug and go out and observe the natural world, be it their own backyard or a jungle, desert, or savanna overseas, or somewhere between those two extremes. This blog is also about understanding how the natural world works, understanding the place of all organisms in it, including Homo sapiens, and to encourage a more peaceful relationship with other creatures.

You are welcome to approach me for consideration of advertising space if your business reflects the values and intentions I have just described. Otherwise, please spare me your spam comments and requests for guest blogs. I would appreciate having more time to address legitimate topics and concerns here. Thank you.