Unwelcome Guests

[nonnaB 4,897]

Snakes...regular visitor to us. Hoovering the kitchen floor one day pushed the hoover into the skirting board to pick up a bit of grit but what appeared from underneath was a snake. It frightened the life out of me. I got the sweeping brush and managed to get it outside where the dog stared at it and fled. Another time during the night my husband went to the bathroom and woke me up when I heard some banging, a snake had got into the bathroom and it got frightened when the light went on , my husband tried to hit it with his slipper and finally got it so that went down the loo.

We often get lizards, we have a nest or whatever they're called under the front door step so we often get the little babies coming in to shelter from the heat in the summer. We also get all manner of cockroaches and beetles, but big ones, one thing we have to look out for are hornets they are in plentiful supply around here and if you happen to get stung its the hospital double quick. A lot of farmers have died around here from hornet stings. I suppose thats a hazard of growing and harvesting grapes. Mosquitoes are a nuisance in summer but I have it sussed with the stings......aloe vera gel and lavender oil to follow. Even the most angry bite will deflate with that concoction.

I love the summer , really I do.

[FLY2 10,109]

The thing is nonnaB not to get stung in the first place. However I'm the worlds worst for not taking Anthisan or Jungle Juice if I'm on holiday. The little bu66ers just love me.

[nonnaB 4,897]

I keep clear of hornets but mosquitoes sneak up on you, and when they buzz round your ear....they love me too. One year I had 17 bites on ONE leg.problem is we're surrounded by vineyards so plenty of hiding places for them

[benjamin1945 16,177]

Loppy and nonnab...............see how lucky we are in Bulwell,no snakes,no Lizards or Mozzy's that can Kill..........God is good.........lol.

[benjamin1945 16,177]

The most unwelcome visitor i ever had was a big Rat,........Afew years ago i was driving along the A47 in Norfolk at about 2 in the morning,and stopped for a wee in a Lay-by somewhere near Swaffam........Got back in the and started driving car and could hear a sniffing sound,looked at the Passenger seat and there he sat just washing his face,scared me half to death,he seemed completly unconcerned.......must have gone 20 miles not knowing what to do,eventually pulled in another lay-by near Kings Lynn and jumped out.............he followed and just wandered off.......still making sniffing noises......like to think he was saying thanks for the lift.

Ive never left me door open in a lay-by again.

[loppylugs 8,429]

Your neck of the woods sounds like Georgia, Nonnab. We have Hornets that hide in the ground. I was winding the hose up at sunset one night and the little so and so's came out in force. Chased me back to the house. Several of them stung me. Fortunately no ill effects but it hurt. Do you have poisonous snakes? We have two kinds at least, copperheads. (Most common). And Rattlers. Guy got killed by a Rattler in his garden last year.

We have lots of Lizards, I even had a couple of named ones last year, Larry and Lizzie. We like to see them around because it probably means no snakes, as the snakes will eat them. Houses seem pretty well sealed, haven't found any inside thus far. (Fingers crossed). Some of our snakes are considered good, King snakes and black snakes. They are none poisonous but will eat other snakes and lots of bugs. If you get one in your garden you are supposed to be nice to him.

Lots of mozzies, but not as bad as Canada. There they are as big as 747s and go around in gangs looking for a meal. :-)

Ben, maybe we should ship you a few mating pairs of Copperheads to let loose in Bulwell. That would keep the locals sober. :-)

[Michael Booth 7,364]

loppylugs, make sure you look after Lizzie, we don't want anything happening to her.

[loppylugs 8,429]

Probably a bad choice of names, just seemed to go well with Larry. No reference meant to anyone on NS. Lol.

[Michael Booth 7,364]

And nobody would think you did, loppylugs. Larry and Lizzie just roll off the tongue.

It seems they're really scary places where you and nonnaB live.

[loppylugs 8,429]

Not really Michael, everywhere has its share of hazards, although I think the more temperate climates like the UK have a lot less.

NonnaB. Correction, my wife tells me what stung me were Yellowjackets, not Hornets. She does not think we have any Hornets. Any way whatever stung me was mean and in a really bad temper. :-)

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

Did they look like this loppylugs?

[loppylugs 8,429]

I didn't hang around long enough to get a good look at 'em BW. That does look pretty close though.