I found my maid of all work Carmen, on her hands and knees, no she wasn't entertaining a gentleman caller this time, she was scrubbing the kitchen floor and using far too much bleach for my liking. Every so often she'd pause, grip the edge of the bucket and give a dramatic shudder, I questioned her about the theatrics, she told me that she seen a cockroach on the kitchen floor "It ad eyes on stalks looking at me" (antennae). I stared at her in astonishment, a cockroach in Chester, do we even have them in Cheshire? Manchester, maybe, but not in Chester, I refused to believe it, she told me she had stunned it with a magazine (Country Life) and chucked it outside if I want to take a look, and there it was, on the lanai. It wasn't a cockroach at all it was a harmless sap feeding shield bug, probably brought in on the washing she left outside to dry using the indoor clothes horse. I was about to share my findings and ease her poor traumatized mind when I noticed she still got half the floor to clean and quite frankly I've never seen her this active since... ever.
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| After taking this photograph (for google lens to identify) I nudged it gently with my foot, the thing latched on to my sock and shot up my leg. |
A Shield Beetle?? Harmless! But don't tell Carmen if it encourages her to do the housework!
ReplyDeleteI caught a flea on top of my iPad a few weeks ago - that made me get the vacuum out. My dog has a monthly flea treatment so I'm not happy about finding the flea. I am still traumatised from the great flea explosion in the early 1990's - my ankles looked like they had acne.
Sx
We had 2 Chihuahuas in the late 80s called Percy and Mitzi they would often catch fleas, during an infestation my mother would send me off to an indoor market to a pet stall called Digby's to buy flea shampoo or for new flea collars but it was me who had to bath them, not outside, I used the kitchen sink!
DeleteI feel the need for a dettol bath.
"Life in the Undergrowth"! Sir David Attenborough would be proud. Jx
ReplyDeleteNot just the undergrowth, we also have bats I went out to the bins the other night and was swooped upon by bats, chasing insects, my newly acquired Kensington accent (self taught for the neighbours) changed to Broad Yorkshire as I was chased back indoors, clutching my head, saying Me'air Me'air
ReplyDeleteThe creature ran up your stockings no doubt looking for your tasty bits. What will the neighbors think?
ReplyDelete*shudders* bad enough with those tiny black thrips getting into all your nooks and crannies, speaking of which, now is the season for thrips and I haven't seen a single one here, I'm not complaining.
DeleteFungus gnats are the most irritating little bastards - not only do they get everywhere, but they tend to fly straight for your face! Jx
DeleteYou don't have to tell me, I've just lobbed my gnat infested clivia over the fence and good riddance!
DeleteOh, those horrid things fly in the bathroom window while I'm in the bath, attracted, no doubt, to the light. They whir around and around so fast its a wonder they don't make themselves sick. And if they're irritated or annoyed by anything, they release a terrible stink! Better outside than in.
ReplyDeleteI read they smell of marzipan when roused. Could your insect be one of those spy bots you can buy from China, perhaps an admirer is trying to get a glimpse of your florin!
DeleteI blame Mistress Maddie. She's always after his half-crown. Jx
DeleteSaucy tart
DeleteSo a sap-sucking something darted up your leg? Do tell.
ReplyDeleteIt was taken by surprise.
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