In a scene from L. Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz, the four companions (Dorothy, Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow) become lost in the forest. What frightens the companions most is possibility of what may be hiding behind every tree and rock. Imagination takes hold, and fear - the mind killer - spreads among the companions, until the entire group is fraught with apprehension and dread. Then, naming, or giving face to what could lurk in the forest is all that’s needed to change the behavior of the traveling companions.
Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!
The hesitency of the explorers is transformed, even though apprehensive, they can now continue on slowly, realizing that the perceived danger was an imagined one, and that their fear had no basis in reality.
This same imagined fear plagues many of us when thinking about the possible bugs and lizards and rodents that could enter our homes here in Mérida. I get a number of inquiries asking how do you get rid of or prevent the ...bug, lizard, or rodent. Some people have great fear over the geckos and small lizards that are prevalent here. With regard to the geckos, and lizards (anoles in particular) Be not afraid, these little critters are your friends, they eat things, scary things, things you don't want to know about.
I have a large yard, and way in the back I have a compost pile. Garden waste, you know cut limbs, branches, weeds, etc. get piled up high and then break down into usable mulch, then more gets added and the cycle resumes. Today I was back there giving the compost pile a good watering down. This really helps the waste to breakdown much faster. I haven't given it this big a watering down in quite a while.
Today, being inordinatly hot I was just standing there in the shade pointing the hose at the pile, not wanting to walk out into the sun to get back to the house to turn off the water. Well after several minutes, I notice a mouse come running out from the far side of the pile and head up the rock wall - Crap! 
Then a few more minutes and double whammy holy crap - a rat scurries out from under the pile and into a hole in the corner where the dog is constantly sniffing around - makes sense now, the dog's interest!
OK, I'm cool, no fear, it's just a mouse, just a rat, I'm not afraid of no rodents by golly gosh!!
Then after a brief moment I am noticing other little movements, HAYSUE KRISTOE cockaroaches, OK now those guys creep me out, give me the heebie geebies, and make me run screaming like a little girl!!!
Now I'm thinkin time for a bonfire, this pile has to go - but wait, now lots of little anoles are showing up... They are eating the roaches, oh my gosh Anoles Are My Heroes!
Be not afraid of the little lizards and geckos, they won't hurt you - They are your friends, they are protecting you from really gross and disgusting, horrible, nasty, icky, creepy, yucky, scary, gross cockaroaches.
GACK!
