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BS: Varmints
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: keberoxu Date: 23 Jul 23 - 08:13 PM Rabbits are turning up all over the place where I am staying. The front door has a rabbit hiding under the front steps. The rabbit comes out to graze on dandelion leaves, and if you spook him, he scurries under the steps. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: Senoufou Date: 24 Jul 23 - 02:40 AM We've noticed a lot of roadkill at the sides of our Norfolk lanes. Yesterday there was a dead buzzard, a grey squirrel and a beautiful orange fox being eaten by several magpies. Also a dead badger and a muntjac deer. It's sad, but these creatures mosey out in front of moving traffic and Wham! It's impossible to avoid them, and a flying casualty can smash ones windscreen. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: keberoxu Date: 25 Jul 23 - 10:22 PM It's curious that there should be so many rabbits when the coyotes are also numerous hereabouts. You would think the coyotes would thin the rabbits out somewhat. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: keberoxu Date: 29 Jul 23 - 12:47 PM Yesterday I was sitting at the patio tables when a small young squirrel came to call. It moved with purpose across the lawn and up the concrete steps. But when I moved, it frightened the squirrel away completely. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: keberoxu Date: 05 Aug 23 - 10:53 AM Bears, rabbits, chipmunks ... one animal I have not seen would be foxes, this summer. And the crows are a hoot. One of them sounds as though it is cursing when it caws to the other crows. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: keberoxu Date: 27 Aug 23 - 11:01 AM This morning's roadkill tally included a very young, small raccoon. More plump than long, and a tiny ringed tail, poor thing. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: Steve Shaw Date: 08 Oct 23 - 04:56 PM Sitting in me garden this afternoon, with an almost freakish day's weather for this time of the year (sunshiny and 73F), I was watching the Liverpool match on my iPhone when a hummingbird hawk moth flew over and sat on my hand! He or she glowered at me and I sort of glowered back and I said, "Hello, mate!" It was soon gone (though it did a quick return a minute later). We've seen a few of them this summer and we saw lots one summer about 25 years ago. Other than that, nothing. So what a treat. Makes life worth living, a thing like that! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: Steve Shaw Date: 28 Oct 23 - 07:48 PM Advance warning: this post contains trauma but no pornography... This morning I'd just emerged from the shower, clean-livin' chap that I am, got nice and dry as you do, went to my knicker drawer to grab a pair of boxers, slipped 'em on... Now the trauma. Lurking inside the boxers, Gawd knows how it got there, was a queen wasp. Presumably trying to find somewhere cosy to hibernate. Well it clearly wasn't happy to make intimate acquaintance with my, er, "chappies' department", so it stung me. Good and proper. Three times, approx. half an inch from the top of my inside leg. I suppose I should be grateful that it didn't choose an even more delicate bit to sting, but it was painful enough, I tell you. The poor beast fell on the bedroom floor. I rescued it and released it into the wild. 'Twas not her fault that she was obliged to defend herself. Apparently, wasps can sting multiple times without harming themselves, but they are not inclined to sting people unless they feel mortally threatened. I'm rather fond of them. The pain lasted about three hours then I was fine. Mrs Steve found the whole thing extremely amusing, given the site of the stinging. Doubtless (knowing her) she'll dine out on this big time, exaggerating the site of the stinging to good effect... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: Senoufou Date: 29 Oct 23 - 11:19 AM Hahahaaaagh Steve, your description of this made me laugh! So kind of you not to kill the wasp - and I hope the sting site is no longer painful. Anyone had any bedbugs? We haven't, but apparently they're all over France, and might invade UK too. I had some many years ago in the seventies when I visited Morocco all alone. I stayed in a little B&B place in Tangier, and noticed bedbugs on the bottom sheet. I did what travellers were advised in those days - you pick up a wet bar of soap and dab it all over the beasties, trapping them. Then you chuck the soap away. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: Steve Shaw Date: 29 Oct 23 - 11:43 AM I have a huge patch of itchy red skin now. Doctor Google tells me that it's probably "a mild allergic reaction." As I'm prone to developing cellulitis I can't take any chances, so I've started taking my "rescue antibiotics" just in case. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: keberoxu Date: 31 Oct 23 - 08:58 PM It is the season when the stinkbugs come indoors. I never notice them so much in the spring when they come out at first; it's when the warm weather ends and it gets cold that they turn up on walls and such. They're harmless enough, just a nuisance. These fly, also. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: Stilly River Sage Date: 31 Oct 23 - 11:01 PM If they're similar to the stink bug family down here, whenever you swat or squash one they give off a cloying sweet scent. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: Steve Shaw Date: 01 Nov 23 - 06:37 AM Bugs that get into our house are never squished. Bluebottles are hassled towards an open door. Spiders in the bath or shower are released on to the bathroom floor. They die if you wash them down the plug hole. Big, scary moths (all harmless) are lured towards brighter lights near the back door. Woodlice are better off outside, so that's where I put them. There's a very impressive house spider living in our porch. She's been there for weeks and I go and have a chat with her before I lock up to go to bed (that's what red wine can do for you). Mrs Steve, severely arachnophobic, calls her our resident tarantula. I even rescued that bloody wasp last Saturday, the one that stung my crotch three times. The resulting big, red, incredibly itchy patch of skin that's in a place I can scratch only when no-one's looking is only now settling down. I once rescued a somewhat moribund bumblebee that was on the path outside, in severe danger of being stood on. I put it on the lawn. A hour later I changed into my indoor shoes that I'd left outside. The bee had crawled back over the path, unbeknown to me, and taken shelter in my shoe. I got stung on the ball of my foot and couldn't walk for the rest of the day. Now was that fair, I ask you... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: keberoxu Date: 05 Nov 23 - 09:34 AM I spotted a ground squirrel / chipmunk the other day. Those are hard to spot, I can tell you. They don't parade themselves about the way the fat grey squirrels do. The ground squirrels favor brush or ground cover, and they run for cover REALLY fast. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: Steve Shaw Date: 05 Nov 23 - 09:40 AM I hate grey squirrels. If I had my way I'd put them all in a big boat and send them back to you lot who live on the wrong side of the Atlantic. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: Donuel Date: 05 Nov 23 - 11:11 AM I love the deer that saunter through our yard every morning. Today there were 3 fawns without their mom. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: Steve Shaw Date: 08 Oct 23 - 04:56 PM Sitting in me garden this afternoon, with an almost freakish day's weather for this time of the year (sunshiny and 73F), I was watching the Liverpool match on my iPhone when a hummingbird hawk moth flew over and sat on my hand! He or she glowered at me and I sort of glowered back and I said, "Hello, mate!" It was soon gone (though it did a quick return a minute later). We've seen a few of them this summer and we saw lots one summer about 25 years ago. Other than that, nothing. So what a treat. Makes life worth living, a thing like that! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: keberoxu Date: 27 Aug 23 - 11:01 AM This morning's roadkill tally included a very young, small raccoon. More plump than long, and a tiny ringed tail, poor thing. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: Donuel Date: 05 Nov 23 - 11:11 AM I love the deer that saunter through our yard every morning. Today there were 3 fawns without their mom. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: Stilly River Sage Date: 31 Oct 23 - 11:01 PM If they're similar to the stink bug family down here, whenever you swat or squash one they give off a cloying sweet scent. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: Steve Shaw Date: 28 Oct 23 - 07:48 PM Advance warning: this post contains trauma but no pornography... This morning I'd just emerged from the shower, clean-livin' chap that I am, got nice and dry as you do, went to my knicker drawer to grab a pair of boxers, slipped 'em on... Now the trauma. Lurking inside the boxers, Gawd knows how it got there, was a queen wasp. Presumably trying to find somewhere cosy to hibernate. Well it clearly wasn't happy to make intimate acquaintance with my, er, "chappies' department", so it stung me. Good and proper. Three times, approx. half an inch from the top of my inside leg. I suppose I should be grateful that it didn't choose an even more delicate bit to sting, but it was painful enough, I tell you. The poor beast fell on the bedroom floor. I rescued it and released it into the wild. 'Twas not her fault that she was obliged to defend herself. Apparently, wasps can sting multiple times without harming themselves, but they are not inclined to sting people unless they feel mortally threatened. I'm rather fond of them. The pain lasted about three hours then I was fine. Mrs Steve found the whole thing extremely amusing, given the site of the stinging. Doubtless (knowing her) she'll dine out on this big time, exaggerating the site of the stinging to good effect... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: Steve Shaw Date: 29 Oct 23 - 11:43 AM I have a huge patch of itchy red skin now. Doctor Google tells me that it's probably "a mild allergic reaction." As I'm prone to developing cellulitis I can't take any chances, so I've started taking my "rescue antibiotics" just in case. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: Steve Shaw Date: 01 Nov 23 - 06:37 AM Bugs that get into our house are never squished. Bluebottles are hassled towards an open door. Spiders in the bath or shower are released on to the bathroom floor. They die if you wash them down the plug hole. Big, scary moths (all harmless) are lured towards brighter lights near the back door. Woodlice are better off outside, so that's where I put them. There's a very impressive house spider living in our porch. She's been there for weeks and I go and have a chat with her before I lock up to go to bed (that's what red wine can do for you). Mrs Steve, severely arachnophobic, calls her our resident tarantula. I even rescued that bloody wasp last Saturday, the one that stung my crotch three times. The resulting big, red, incredibly itchy patch of skin that's in a place I can scratch only when no-one's looking is only now settling down. I once rescued a somewhat moribund bumblebee that was on the path outside, in severe danger of being stood on. I put it on the lawn. A hour later I changed into my indoor shoes that I'd left outside. The bee had crawled back over the path, unbeknown to me, and taken shelter in my shoe. I got stung on the ball of my foot and couldn't walk for the rest of the day. Now was that fair, I ask you... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: Steve Shaw Date: 05 Nov 23 - 09:40 AM I hate grey squirrels. If I had my way I'd put them all in a big boat and send them back to you lot who live on the wrong side of the Atlantic. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: keberoxu Date: 31 Oct 23 - 08:58 PM It is the season when the stinkbugs come indoors. I never notice them so much in the spring when they come out at first; it's when the warm weather ends and it gets cold that they turn up on walls and such. They're harmless enough, just a nuisance. These fly, also. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: keberoxu Date: 05 Nov 23 - 09:34 AM I spotted a ground squirrel / chipmunk the other day. Those are hard to spot, I can tell you. They don't parade themselves about the way the fat grey squirrels do. The ground squirrels favor brush or ground cover, and they run for cover REALLY fast. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Varmints From: Senoufou Date: 29 Oct 23 - 11:19 AM Hahahaaaagh Steve, your description of this made me laugh! So kind of you not to kill the wasp - and I hope the sting site is no longer painful. Anyone had any bedbugs? We haven't, but apparently they're all over France, and might invade UK too. I had some many years ago in the seventies when I visited Morocco all alone. I stayed in a little B&B place in Tangier, and noticed bedbugs on the bottom sheet. I did what travellers were advised in those days - you pick up a wet bar of soap and dab it all over the beasties, trapping them. Then you chuck the soap away. |
