Herbster Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Calling the POM SQUAD! SCORPIONS IN THE BOUDOIR.... Bull Ants in the GARDEN... OK, I know everything is Upside Down, but this is snow joke - it could be April 1st, but it isn't, hence: :arghhxmas:. Within the space of five days I've found two feisty red Scorpions in my bedroom - yea, if only! NO! Not local jocks from the football club or creepy Commi Spies, but nasty looking creatures of the arachnid persuasion much, MUCH too close to our bed... The first appeared between the newly-unpacked wardrobe & the bed - I was perturbed, but thought perhaps it was trapped in the packaging, although we did vacuum after unpacking & assembly. I'd found several other deceased fellas in the seams of boxes, also @ least 1 dead black specimen in another bedroom, before our carpets were steam-cleaned but no REDs under the bed. The carpet guy assured me nothing could survive his steam cleaning! Well, the second one appeared, after the carpets were vacuumed again, on the opposite side of the room from the first... HELP! They're definitely NOT black, nor deceased and very much UNWELCOME... OK, we live on a light bush property, NOT coastal any more, which is where they are supposed to reside! There is no door from the bedroom to the outdoors... I've never seen any sign of such things in the garden, although seen some pretty ferocious-looking spiders & hefty ants in perfusion, including the very much dreaded Jack Jumpers. I was stung earlier in the week by Son-of-Jack-Jumper, and holly molly if the next day, I didn't see enough Jack Jumpers to send me on the first flight home! Especially as the one leaped at me, as I peered too close for a definitive look. These are seriously scary predators... I'll post the photo's if any one wants to see them - horrible! What's the Verdict guys? Are we in mortal danger; should we call in an Exterminator, House, Dr WHO or an Exorcist?.... I think nothing of walking round in the dark - now this is seriously hampering my Night Moves... Thanks for all your genuine suggestions & advice... :emoticon-signxmas: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuju Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Yuk thats scary, i'd get out while i could !!! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 I would buy Bunnings out of Pest Bombs , light the fuse and runnnnnn ,lol, (yes i can laugh from here ,if i was there id be in a hotel!),did the carpet clean man 'guarantee' they wouldnt survive his treatment? or was it just a passing comment, if its guaranteed id be back on the phone straight away! Cal x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellyjamie Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 sorry i cant help, but i have to say you have a gift for writing, they way you write your posts are absolutely hilarious even if their not meant to be. id be moving out by now im not good with bugs inside the house, i reckon you should defo get someone out! goodluck :emoticon-signxmas: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jacobs creek Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 You see. All of this really puts me off moving. I know its silly. But readin this gives me goosebumps and makes me think satay in Britain. How am I ever goin to get passed this. I'm not even there and the thought of the little buggas sends shivers down my spine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest proud2beaussie Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 Are they like the one in the picture below? Scorpions Scorpions are easily distinguished by their long sting-bearing tail and a pair of pincers on long arms, known as pedipalps, at the front of the body. Despite having six to twelve eyes - an obvious pair at the centre of the carapace and two to five smaller eyes on each side - scorpions do not have good eyesight. However, they can readily distinguish light from dark and appear to have excellent low light sensitivity, which helps them to both avoid harsh sunlight and to navigate by starlight or moonlight. They sense their way around using sensory hairs and slit organs on the legs, pedipalps and body that pick up vibrations and scents (mechanoreceptors and chemoreceptors). They also have special organs on the underside of the body called pectines, which pick up ground textures and scents. Scorpions breathe through four pairs of book lungs on the underside of the abdomen. Female scorpions are more heavily built than males, with shorter tails. Colour ranges from dark grey to light brown or gold, with lighter coloured legs. Scorpions also fluoresce under ultraviolet light, which is a good way for scientists to find them in the field. The fluorescence is thought to serve as an ultraviolet sensitivity mechanism, perhaps allowing the scorpion to avoid damaging light levels. Australian scorpions can give a painful sting but are not considered dangerous. First aid for a sting is to apply a cold pack and to seek medical aid if pain persists. It is also a good idea to try to catch the scorpion and have it identified. The scorpion usually seen in houses is the small Marbled Scorpion. Source: http://www.exterminator.com.au/pests.htm© Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herbster Posted January 12, 2009 Author Share Posted January 12, 2009 Well If you think the Scorpions were Somethnig to find in your bedroom - AND YES, they looked just like that, how utterly thoughtful of you to publish that pic (although I have my own as documentary proof should anyone require it!) I had to get the Exterminator in Friday, 3 reds & then a black one scurrying out from under the threshold on Night Maneuvers was just too much... But THIS morning , checking on the state of my sunflowers, that are attempting to grow in spite of repeated attempts by snails to annihilate them, something caught my attention, above them, at the base of the vicious, spiky New Zealand flax, and there, as large as you like, was a Tiger snake, head going side to side, advancing with his tongue keenly tasting the air, possibly sensing my presence...? He was big, impressive, if you like, I mean he'd have had to be living here for some years to be that size, there was at least a foot that I could see, python-like & rattler-like all in one neat, colorful, slithery package! Whoppeee! That's just what we need now we have a new addition to the Family... So no leaving the dog's water bowl outdoors for him, lest a thirsty snake claims it for his own... Happy New Year! At least the Exterminator - who was a real treat, & referred us to the breeder that has delivered our new arrival - assures us his ministrations will help alleviate our indoor pest problems - and already I've found a further 3 deceased scorpions; he also advised getting rid of the large number of black house spiders we had, as they unfortunately for them, attract the unwanted advances of the small (I didn't realize that) white-tailed spider - and those you def do NOT want around...! I thought maybe living in the Bush meant this was par for the course, but he asserted that odd areas in towns & even Hobart, often inexplicably have quite Ammiteyville Horror-type pestilence, from nasty little slimy creatures all over the walls, Portuguese millipedes in their zillions everywhere, to ants in their stinging black droves all over walls & furnishings... to these poor beleaguered Homeowners, his advice: Sell UP!! And if you haven't seen the recent reports of shark attacks recently - even in quiet, benign Tassie, then be comforted that there is the white-tailed spider equivalent in the aquatic world in the guise of some nasty sea-louse that you really don't want to step on... Yes, it really is a Jungle Out there.... You could always consider New Zealand!... Or don't live in the Bush...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minlady Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Well Herbster.. what can i say.... its a delight to catch up with you...as i don't get on here much anymore... but when i do i love to read what you have been up to and boy you never fail to disapoint!... sorry i don't mean to belittle your pest problem.. i just love reading your posts! so nice to find out you have moved to your own abode albeit pest infiltrated to a degree i don't think i'd be too happy with.. but you seem to be coping in your way most admirably ... xx other than the unwanted guests how is life treating a bear down under? BW min x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest proud2beaussie Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 vicious, spiky New Zealand flax, and there, as large as you like, was a Tiger snake, head going side to side, advancing with his tongue keenly tasting the air, possibly sensing my presence...? He was big, impressive, if you like, I mean he'd have had to be living here for some years to be that size, there was at least a foot that I could see, python-like & rattler-like all in one neat, colorful, slithery package! Wow,you have been unlucky haven't you,must admit the Tiger snake is a bit of a worry,but leave him alone and he wont bother you,I live in N/E Victoria and I have seen 14 snakes in our garden since November,a couple of Tigers,couple of Blacks and the rest browns,but having lived here for many years I have got used to them,mostly when you see them they are either warming themselves or on the move to a better spot.of course it is illegal in this country to kill a snake unless you are in immediate danger,snakes are a vital part of the ecosystem and if it wasn't for them the place would be overrun with rats and mice and other vermin.If you want to see something horrible you should see what I saw a while back.a brown snake eating a field mouse,YUCK! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackboots Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 well, totally agree with the other poster love reading your posts you should write.. maybe a book how to survive in the bush, ooohh i would be out of there by now! what did you do about the snake now that really realy frightens the daylights out of me, good luck!x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herbster Posted January 12, 2009 Author Share Posted January 12, 2009 Well Herbster.. what can i say.... its a delight to catch up with you...as i don't get on here much anymore... but when i do i love to read what you have been up to and boy you never fail to disapoint!... sorry i don't mean to belittle your pest problem.. i just love reading your posts! so nice to find out you have moved to your own abode albeit pest infiltrated to a degree i don't think i'd be too happy with.. but you seem to be coping in your way most admirably ... xx other than the unwanted guests how is life treating a bear down under? BW min x Hi Min: Been wondering how you are too, nice you know you are fit & well, and many thanks for extending the warm hand, I mean paw, of friendship... Well this Bear ain't bad - considering on Saturday I was flying thru' the air, my life flashing before my eyes and wondering JUST what on earth had I done to deserve such a rotten trip... I'd exited from the relatively dark garage, in the general direction of my Beloved's voice; 'Where do you want this basket put...?' when suddenly everything was all wrong, my right ankle first crunched to the left, then lurched to the right , followed by an excruciating shot of pain, as I was catapulted thru' space, then a horrible big snap the last thing I heard in my foot before paws smacked concrete and a harsh scream penetrated the wilderness! I thought that's it, I've really done it THIS time, spend all my time carefully trying to avoid Jack Jumpers, son-of-Jack-Jumper, scorpions, possums, wasps, hornets, arachnids in their numerous shapes & disguises, not to mention something that could have stared in Anaconda, when I end up falling over some stupid rocks, that someone sometime ago must have thought added a certain mystical authenticity to our hillside abode, not realizing the possible fatal consequences of setting a pile of rocks in concrete outside the garage door! (Of course I could be really dark here & say, well he was wheel-chair-bound so it would never have bothered him... sorry, but people think I'm nuts for living in the Bush!) Anyway, back to MY story as I'm doing my ungainly Mary Poppins stunt: ----No bl**dy health insurance, my parents due in just over a fortnight, we've just gone & got ourselves a Ute that very morning & I won't even be able to drive the car, the whole point (well, more or less) for getting a pick-up! I was lying on the ground clutching my throbbing foot, thinking, I CAN'T have broken it, I've done something similar three times before & each time I've just sprained it (not to diminish the pain or mal-effects of a ClassIII injury) and comforting myself with the knowledge that I just don't eat cheese & milk just cos I like them - but a bear knows they are Good For You - it makes for Good Bones! Anyway, shaking like a falling leaf, I stuck my foot in a bucket of icy water, used a Mosholu sandal as a handy splint and conspired with god to ensure no serious damage had occurred! And here I am just 3-days later, & in spite of the swollen, black ankle, I virtually have full rotation of my joint & I even managed a return trip with our new dog to the mail box without further incident. This my friend, is no mean feat either - being that our drive is quite long with a considerable dip over the creek, and constructed of that fine, treacherous gravel, that needs just one false step for you to again be unceremoniously launched into a nether world with an ensuing catastrophe of awful possibility, as gravel slices bare skin like a Stanley knife and myriad ants party on your battered, bloodied flesh! You may think this is artistic license, but factor in that we have a dear little Border Collie with an aversion of walking to heel on a lead, having belonged to a Football Player whose idea of Walkies was taking the poor little darling jogging, so he'd better have run ahead at a pace or he'd have had a great size 12 up it's backside... poor wee timorous beastie! Yes, so apart from being as Poor as that wee creature, and myself needing to find profitable employment as soon as the folks depart at the end of February, All's Well in Herbster's World - more or less... We had a lovely New Year's down at Eaglehawk Neck - just wonderful, and this darling dog is just a wonderful, perfect addition. I know it's only 30-hours, but how anyone could give up such an adorable creature I don't know, I even (remember my poor injured ankle) managed to get him in the bathtub this morning for a restorative bath, he was such a flea bag, & in agony from scratching his poor belly, that I had to do something to relieve his suffering... Remember, just the day before we had NO IDEA we would be welcoming a dog into our home the next day, so I had nothing to make a dog really feel at home, let alone rid it of fleas... So, do you know what I concocted - Herbster at his herbal best, perhaps - a homemade wash, from lemon-infused tea, with a balsamic & saline twist, finished off with some sensitive hand-wash & a good shower! Dear creature, was so good - the bathroom was drenched, I was pretty wet, but the dog looked fine, smelt even better & virtually all his fleas & scratching have gone... His breeder arrives tomorrow with backup propitiatory treatment, but at least he & we should get a better night's sleep... Thank you for the kind posts:- It is a shame - I wrote a Classic in response to someone who'd been kind enough to say they enjoyed Herbster's ramblings...back before Christmas - my brain was in Top Gear! But, then went to correct it & as Outlook sometimes does, it just froze, the response never to see the light of day again & I just couldn't redo it, didn't have the time, couldn't remember the flowing prose; but I apologize for that, I'd hate for someone to think I took their appreciation for granted... I say if I can't take the P out of myself & my Path, then I might as well Give Up! It's all an Education, sharing is part of IT & Bear's Just Wanna Have Fun, too... XXX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herbster Posted January 12, 2009 Author Share Posted January 12, 2009 well, totally agree with the other poster love reading your posts you should write.. maybe a book how to survive in the bush, ooohh i would be out of there by now! what did you do about the snake now that really realy frightens the daylights out of me, good luck!x Well, the andrews, what I did about the snake was, first get the camera out & see if it was still there to record the Evidence (all those hours of watching CSI & NCIS have to amount to something) - a no show - then got on the phone to my retired Pommy neighbors, who in their own words capture & release wild snakes.................................................. They are coming for tea tomorrow... maybe I'll find a recipe for lemonade & we can sit out back & play snakes & ladders... Well so many thanks for your kind words - people have been saying this all my life - but it takes me too long, & unfortunately, no-ones' actually ever said - Write something for me, for $$££... Apart from Work... I almost feel now, that perhaps I could do it, but sadly, I'm no Bill Bryson... Although perhaps enough is actually happening to us now that could be worth writing Home about...????? I wish! But Ever the Optimist: Any Offers!?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rainbow Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Herbster, i think you've made me come to the profound realization where the Creepy in creepy crawlies comes from. yeeeeks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verulam Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Herbster I love hearing your stories! One thing though...what is a "Jack Jumper"? Hubby is Australian and lived in Tassie for 13 years but even HE hasn't heard of them? Now he is wracking his brains trying to figure out what it could be so please put himout of his misery! Said it reminded him of when he was lying on the lounge floor inthe dark watching tv. He got up to make a cuppa (as you do), put the light on, and there was a huge centipede near to where he had been! poisonous one too! Yuck Yuck! Please keep the tales coming, and the earlier poster was right..they would make a great book! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herbster Posted January 12, 2009 Author Share Posted January 12, 2009 Herbster I love hearing your stories! One thing though...what is a "Jack Jumper"? Hubby is Australian and lived in Tassie for 13 years but even HE hasn't heard of them? Now he is wracking his brains trying to figure out what it could be so please put himout of his misery!Said it reminded him of when he was lying on the lounge floor inthe dark watching tv. He got up to make a cuppa (as you do), put the light on, and there was a huge centipede near to where he had been! poisonous one too! Yuck Yuck! Please keep the tales coming, and the earlier poster was right..they would make a great book! BULL ANTS! I'LL POST MY PIC WHEN I HAVE A CHANCE & THEY ARE WIDE-SPREAD & PERVASIVE IN TASSIE, ESP IN SANDY AREAS... Thanks for the support, much appreciated... Got to dash.... Got visitors arriving - the human variety I hope! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herbster Posted January 13, 2009 Author Share Posted January 13, 2009 OK! Here is one of the Offenders :shocked: I snapped this one before he could lunge at me just out side my kitchen door, as I said I'd been enjoying my cereal in the shade, when I noticed this Thing creeping (actually, he seemed more like On Patrol) along the sleeper edging the gravel patch which is supposed to denote our Outside Entertaining Space... lush! (It's dumped aggregate to a construction guy!) You might need/wish/like to zoom-in for a more detailed inspection... The red jaws you see apparently grip its prey in a vice-like embrace in order for it's sting, at the bottom of it's rather bulbous rear-end to unload its sack full of venom as often as it can into its hapless victim... For some people the results have been deadly serious, for others about as pleasant as falling into a bee hive, or over a cliff through a briar patch & landing in an acre of old stinging nettles... OOOCH, OOOOCH, Bugga! The creature that stung me was fortunately, I believe, NOT one of these, in spite of my Aussie neighbor proclaiming it so! The Stinger (or S-o-J-J!) doesn't seem to JUMP, but are very feisty, quick & deliver an efficient wasp-like sting... and I speak from experience... Outside now, a couple more ailing scorpions, a dead Huntsman, which are seriously scary-looking beasts in spite of their supposedly benign relationship with humans, and it's 37 degrees in the shade & rising - so a bit of a killer of a day in TAS! :hug: Feel the Love! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verulam Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Ahhh Bull ants!! Thanks for that! have to agree with you they're a nasty piece of work. I never came across a scorpion when I was in Australia thank goodness, although hubby says they regularly ventured into the factory where he worked. Anyway enjoy your cereal if the creepies allow it!LOL...Its a warm day here in the UK...5C! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cheshire lass Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Had a good laugh Herbster, i must say you have had a babtism of fire. in over 40 years here i have only seen a couple of snakes wild. i must be too noisy in the bush. You have certainly picked a very fertile spot in Tassie. Even after all what you have been through i can tell you will make it as an Aussie. You have passed with flying colours. i can't say i have seen any scorpions either,maybe native to tassie or we are too dry for them here in Vic. i won't go looking to hard to find them though. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herbster Posted January 20, 2009 Author Share Posted January 20, 2009 Aa Thanks Cheshire Lass: Actually since the Exterminator was in it's amazing the selection of creepy crawlies that aren't any more, that you'd probably be normally unaware of - being that we have a small concrete walkway round the house which I'll call a No Go Zone for arachnids & their cousins, a Buffer Zone for the protection of mammals. To be fair to the scorpions, they aren't huge and OH would step on one before he saw it, but I still don't want them black or red, crawling round the house in that creepy way of theirs, just waiting to zap your ankles! That was the main reason, next to the heat & the arrogance, for never recognising the appeal of Texas as a place to live! I heard too many tales about my friend's family down there constantly loosing their cats to scorpions and snakes... Just as well no one ever mentioned scorpions in ref to Tassie!!! I think I understand now the real difference between living in the Bush and merely being rural or living in the countryside and either of those are very different from living in the city or urban setting. the Bush is pretty well nature in the raw, in a way we just wouldn't see in the UK, as I don't really know of any place there, apart from some mountain tops which wouldn't have felt the impact of human civilization going back thousands of years. Much of UK's so-called natural landscape is nothing of the kind, it's the result of people living on and manipulating that land for their own purposes for hundreds, if not thousands of years. The bush, however, is a landscape I suspect that's little changed (apart from some fences) since the first settlers saw it, which was how it was, how it had been, how it had evolved. It hadn't been molded by centuries of dramatic human intervention as in many other areas of the globe, there might have been man-made fire, but there's always fire in the wild. If there was ever any people here their impact was minimal, there was no large-scale cultivation, construction or manipulation of the land compared to most of Europe, where there are very few places that the impact of humans hasn't intrinsically changed the nature of the land and the creatures that inhabit it for ever. My light bush property has only felt the hand of human stewardship for 15-years, so while the look of the land has been effected by felling, fencing, grazing or burning, in the scale of evolution, the ground-hugging dwellers such as insects and snakes probably just notice an increase in food sources and aren't unduly effected by our relatively small slab of concrete in the middle of their home! I suspect the gravest impact locally, is on the marsupial population. Wallaby's, wombats, possums, Devils, etc. are impacted & restricted by human infrastructures, their historical grazing & breeding grounds are no longer freely accessible and they are further killed off by human actions whether by accident or design, whereas in the short term, the huge & diverse insect population seem to thrive and not be unduly bothered by a few pesky mammals in their territory. Insects & Snakes: 2 Humans: 1 :huh: or something like that! And compared to some of the (horror) stories of other humans living in the bush AND city - my irritations are nothing compared to their infestations & blights... So, looking on The Bright Side: we have a great home, in a quiet area with smashing neighbors (as opposed to neighbors who used to smash up the neighborhood which is what our neighbors previously endured!) and a wonderful new Border Collie, called Harvey who I just pray will recognize that snakes, scorpions & bull ants are all creatures to Leave well ALONE..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Trina Findlay Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Hi Herbster, Just to echo what everyone else has said: Your posts have been absolute treasure to read! Thank you so much for sharing with us all. Before I arrived, my sister had been living in Sydney for 13 years, and had seen, maybe, one redback, and that was on a trip to the Hunter Valley, and assured me that despite the statistics, I really shouldn't worry too much about creepy crawlies (coming from the worlds' greatest arachnophobe, I took that as a positive sign).. in my year-long travels here in 2002-2003, I only saw one brown snake, on a trip between Alice Springs and Adelaide, so I arrived in Geelong confident of not being prey to many-legged beasties... Less than a month after I arrived, I was taking a shower when I saw the silhouette of a HUGE spider on the other side of the shower door. Then a very hairy leg hooked itself around the edge of the door, as if it was somehow sniffing the air! I'm very proud of myself in that I did not scream in a womanly fashion, but jumped backwards in shock - as the shower cubicle is pretty small, I crashed against the back wall, which brought my OH running into the bathroom, thinking that I had fallen and hit my head... In a shaky voice I pointed out the spider, and asked him if it was a "bad" one... he waited until he had returned with a glass and retrieved the critter and disposed of it in the back garden (still way too close to the house for my liking!), before telling me that it was a wolf spider, and yes, they are pretty nasty... Since then I've taken up the habit of shaking my towel before taking a shower, and shaking my shoes upside down too!! It didn't stop there... a few weeks later I was sitting on the sofa when I felt something running up my leg (bear in mind I was wearing shorts), and calmly brushed it away... when I realised it was a spider, I leapt up and frantically instructed my OH to "get it!"... and bless him, like a true Steve Irwin wannabe, he peered under the sofa, ever-ready glass in hand... when he caught it, he confirmed that it was a White Tail - much too close for comfort for me! We've since seen a couple more, including one in our letter box (my OH now gets the mail).:laugh: We also have a bull ants' nest in our front yard, which I only discovered when I was weeding, and found a big hole out of which trouped a long line of the biggest, meanest ants I've ever seen, which I swear made a bee-line (not meaning to mix my insect metaphors) straight for me... it was only when my OH got home that he calmly remarked "oh yes, I meant to tell you about them" A couple of weeks ago I nearly walked straight into an enormous spider which was hanging by a thread from the ceiling. OH was working, so I courageously trapped it in a glass and put it on the table out on the deck. I couldn't bring myself to release it in case it did a U-turn and came after me again, and under the guise of waiting for my OH to identify it for me, I left it there, kind of half-hoping that it would perish in the midday sunshine - which of course it didn't, it just seemed to get more and more angry. When OH finally came home, he didn't know what kind it was, but it was HUGE, and had MASSIVE fangs! Honestly, that's not an exaggeration from a hysterical female - even my true blue Aussie Hubbie was nervous about getting close to it! Like you, Herbster, I'm worried about our pets - we have kittens who will be ready to go outside into the big wide world of the backyard in a couple of weeks, and I just hope that they're smart enough to know which beasties they can hunt, and which ones should be left well enough alone... I guess they'll only learn the lesson when they get bitten, but still........... But don't let these tales put you off coming to Oz!:smile: I am about the biggest scaredy cat ever when it comes to creepy crawlies (I'm getting an itchy neck just thinking about it!) - but as long as you're aware of what's around you, you don't have to get too paranoid about it. Same as anything really! Oh, and I don't live out in the bush like you Herbster - I live in a suburb not far from Geelong! Not exactly urban - we do have a big back yard full of trees and with paddocks all around us - but hardly in the middle of nowhere!! It all just adds to the fun of life! In the UK the only thing I had to worry about was house spiders which seemed to be all legs and no body, and the occasional rare swarm (is that the collective noun?) of jellyfish in the sea off the Dorset coast! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anada Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Save the spider! Aw c'mon you've seen all our crowds of flies, the spiders are natural exterminators of flies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herbster Posted January 21, 2009 Author Share Posted January 21, 2009 Great to hear your stories, too, Trina, thanks for sharing. I suspect the UK Government are thrilled by our revelations, for we've probably achieved what the entire British Government has been unable to in years of trying to prevent the Skills Drain to OZ! :laugh: But don't let it put YOU off - remember much of inhabited OZ is blanketed with a nice thick, protective layer of concrete & there's more to Australia than bugs & hot air! Maybe people don't want to make too much of the Creepy Beastie world in which we mortals struggle to survive, but I'm just too honest & open to keep this stuff to my self! I never was a Girl Scout but do believe their motto To Aways be Prepared to be a valid one:- although I can't say I go round armed with a big stick, reams of paper & a pint glass in case of a scary insect encounter, although after your tales or was it tails - I probably should, or at the least count myself lucky I have not felt the blackboard-scraping sensation of arachnid paws on my legs, or had such a scary Psycho shower moment! A small bull ant sting was enough to get me going! Yes, & I have discovered several nests - in prime garden locales that I would not wish to upset, & that really are something of a problem, being that I'm a Hindu at heart! (Just as well I'm not as I'd make a lousy one!) So I think sharing is where it's at, then at least we know we're not alone, or imagining it (as IF one could imagine some of these creatures...) but makes me question whether my hypothesis that the wildest & commonest encounters are likely to be in the bush doesn't hold true... or maybe it did, & now the insect Kingdom is fighting back & reclaiming what was rightly theirs... EEEEEEEKKKKKKK.... :twitcy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest snow white Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Great to hear your stories, too, Trina, thanks for sharing. I suspect the UK Government are thrilled by our revelations, for we've probably achieved what the entire British Government has been unable to in years of trying to prevent the Skills Drain to OZ! But don't let it put YOU off - remember much of inhabited OZ is blanketed with a nice thick, protective layer of concrete & there's more to Australia than bugs & hot air! Maybe people don't want to make too much of the Creepy Beastie world in which we mortals struggle to survive, but I'm just too honest & open to keep this stuff to my self! I never was a Girl Scout but do believe their motto To Aways be Prepared to be a valid one:- although I can't say I go round armed with a big stick, reams of paper & a pint glass in case of a scary insect encounter, although after your tales or was it tails - I probably should, or at the least count myself lucky I have not felt the blackboard-scraping sensation of arachnid paws on my legs, or had such a scary Psycho shower moment! A small bull ant sting was enough to get me going! Yes, & I have discovered several nests - in prime garden locales that I would not wish to upset, & that really are something of a problem, being that I'm a Hindu at heart! (Just as well I'm not as I'd make a lousy one!) So I think sharing is where it's at, then at least we know we're not alone, or imagining it (as IF one could imagine some of these creatures...) but makes me question whether my hypothesis that the wildest & commonest encounters are likely to be in the bush doesn't hold true... or maybe it did, & now the insect Kingdom is fighting back & reclaiming what was rightly theirs... EEEEEEEKKKKKKK.... :twitcy: as much as i enjoy reading your posts i already wake up in the night wondering what creepy crawlies are running around stare at every part of my ceiling before i run to the loo, put lights on just incase there is anything hiding under the toilet seat as im told redbacks love to linger their, and for why i woke up with 2 tiny holes obviously from a spider bite anyway my leg was all swollen and red hot been driving me mad god knows what it was or where it still could possibly be only thing that worries me is if they get me when im asleep how the hell do i cope if im asleep and get bit by a venomous spider wonder if one would just die in their sleep and that would be it as i said even more worried now :unsure: lesley x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herbster Posted January 21, 2009 Author Share Posted January 21, 2009 Hi Lesley: Don't mean to give you nightmares - I was having ones about flying parcels last night! Kept waking up in a huge fright trying to catch them before they hit the floor... That's what happens when it takes the Royal Mail, et al, 8-weeks to deliver my Mother's Christmas pressey, having paid a hefty sum to get it here in plenty of time! So I'm not surprised all this creepy talk is giving you restless nights. Does sound as thou' you were bitten by something not so nice, maybe it's time you got tough, do what we did & find a good exterminator who uses a natural system to kill on contact. He assured me it's safe for humans & pets (NOT fish) as it's a synthetic replication of some essence of Tasmanian Daisy which apparently kills off most insects with it's intoxicating parfum... And me being extremely sensitive to any kind of chemicals - I can't abide fly spray or room fresheners, they really make me sick, can vouch for the un-noxious nature of this product & have suffered no obvious ill-effects. Consequently, I/we are not so worried about finding unwelcome visitors, even in the garage. I know I don't like killing things, outdoors WE're fair game, but indoors it's our domain & we should be comfortable & not worrying excessively about what Creepy might be crawling & where! Check for obvious things like perfumes that may attract insects. If you've got old carpets & furnishings I'd be thinking about giving them the heave-ho, or getting them steam-cleaned if they are worth it. De-clutter; bugs & spiders love places to hide & lurk, so reduce all insect loitering opportunities. Of course a really good vacuum with a long hose & nifty nozzle will soon become your new best friend, as you regularly tackle all the corners, crevices, baseboards & windows everything within reach - top of door jambs, the bit from the lamps to the ceiling, to rid them of webs & to suck out those reclusive little weavers & other pesky pests...Have you got well-fitted screens? You can always spray the inside of those with bug repellent , & make sure there aren't lots of easy little ways into your home - buy some silicone caulk & seal up all those little cracks & holes where the buggas are getting in... I know it sounds like house-work! But it might be a craftily disguised keep fit program too, but at least you'll know it's clean & clear of bugs! :twitcy: I keep a flashlight by my bed so when I have to get up, I can check my slippers & carpet, & since childhood have always been wary of leaving anything sticking out from under the covers! You could fix yourself up a good old fashioned mossie net - just don't forget it's there when you get up for you moonlight excursions, or it could still all go horribly wrong as you end up in the ER anyway, but from injuries sustained while protecting yourself from voracious insects & other creepy crawlies rather than being attacked by them! All the best, as the Old Wives say... Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite....... Sorrrrryyyy... :arghh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tasormelb Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Hi This is my first post for a while. We have our visa and are waiting to sell the house. We are coming to validate our visa at the end of March and visiting both Tasmania (areas around Hobart) and suburbs around Geelong, we then hope to make a decision about where we will settle. Herbster, I was chuckling about your unwanted house guests, when I got to the part about the tiger snake my thoughts started to be 'Yikes, perhaps Geelong might be better for us'. Then low and behold along comes Tinas post, seems there are as many unwanted house guests in Geelong! So Herbster, was wondering if you can give us a survival guide to the critters in Tasmania and Tina any tips for Geelong? Thanks Vanessa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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