Speedy Gonzales
Amsterdam - The Netherlands [no not Holland: Holland is not a country] Old houses divided into one apartment per floor; usually three to four stacked on top of each other. The floors are made of thick floorboards about two to three cm. In between a ceiling and a floor is a gap about thirty cm high, the perfect space for mice to nest and roam. I'm used to having mice keeping me awake at night when they're looking for food in the kitchen, trying to climb into the bin hoping to find some leftovers. Mice don't bother me at all, they're kinda cute and come with living in old houses in Amsterdam: you share...
It's bad habit of people that draws them but if you take proper necessary precautions it shouldn't be a problem nor become a problem. You don't leave food on the counter because that's just like setting the table for them to have an enjoyable meal at some restaurant. So you adjust and put food away in containers and make sure everything is clean. You can tell where they have been because they always use the same route to get to the source or go back to where their nest is. Along that route you'll find stains where they had to climb and rub their bellies and near the source it's most likely that you'll find droppings.
I would catch them in mouse-friendly traps and put them outside in the grass the next morning. I don't see the point in killing these cute furry creatures. It's people that create a mice problem by feeding them and instead of taking responsibility and hide the food, they choose to kill them. I've seen the same with pigeons in Amsterdam and foxes in London. Pigeons in Amsterdam are gassed while on the other hand some idiot at Dam Square sells bread crumbs to the tourists so they can take pictures. Garbage is left in streets of London which attracts foxes, these creatures don't know any better, it's people that should!
London - United Kingdom There's mice in this old Victorian house and I still keep all my food in containers and make sure everything is clean. They come out at night and at times while I watch TV one is trying to cross the room and I see it from the corner of my eye. It happened four times in an hour the other day. I turn it into a game: whenever I see the mouse move on the carpet, I wait for it to come closer and when it's close enough I'd say: ksssh, ksssh and off it goes like Speedy Gonzales 'Arriba Arriba!': too funny... Friday last week, I was watching TV when I saw something move from the corner of my eye.
It was fast and the size of a mouse so I automatically said 'ksssh, ksssh' expecting the mouse to immediately move the opposite direction. So when it didn't I was alarmed instantly and saw it move in the same direction still. I couldn't quite see what it was but it was fast and big, just not as solid as a mouse would be so I had a quick look and I then realized to my absolute horror that it wasn't a cute furry mouse but a huge spider. The ones that I really really really don't like, the ones that I don't want to run around on the carpet while I'm always walking around bare feet. The ones that are aggressive and nasty...
I don't kill it although I'm very much tempted, instead I put a glass on top of it and wait until someone takes it out for me and dumps it far far away from the front door. These spiders always seem to come in pairs and people don't believe me when I tell them. The biggest one, a female and a smaller one, the male. So ever since Friday I was expecting to find the male but it never showed and I almost started to feel relieved. Then yesterday, while I was sorting out the laundry in the bathroom, I saw something move near my bare feet, there it was, the male. He had me totally cornered and I didn't dare to move.
Don't ask me how but I managed to get away after a while without him noticing and I came back with a glass to trap him. That's two times in four days... According to Indonesian beliefs spiders are supposed to bring luck but I'd rather have two furry mice in my home than one of these vicious creepy crawlers!
Will you walk into my parlour?' said the Spider to the Fly,
'Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy;
The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,
And I've a many curious things to shew when you are there.'
Oh no, no,' said the little Fly, 'to ask me is in vain,
For who goes up your winding stair can ne'er come down again.'
'I'm sure you must be weary, dear, with soaring up so high;
Will you rest upon my little bed?' said the Spider to the Fly.
'There are pretty curtains drawn around; the sheets are fine and thin,
And if you like to rest awhile, I'll snugly tuck you in!'
Oh no, no,' said the little Fly, 'for I've often heard it said,
They never, never wake again, who sleep upon your bed!'
Said the cunning Spider to the Fly, ' Dear friend what can I do,
To prove the warm affection I 've always felt for you?
I have within my pantry, good store of all that's nice;
I'm sure you're very welcome -- will you please to take a slice?'
'Oh no, no,' said the little Fly, 'kind Sir, that cannot be,
I've heard what's in your pantry, and I do not wish to see!'
'Sweet creature!' said the Spider, 'you're witty and you're wise,
How handsome are your gauzy wings, how brilliant are your eyes!
I've a little looking-glass upon my parlour shelf,
If you'll step in one moment, dear, you shall behold yourself.'
'I thank you, gentle sir,' she said, 'for what you 're pleased to say,
And bidding you good morning now, I'll call another day.'
The Spider turned him round about, and went into his den,
For well he knew the silly Fly would soon come back again:
So he wove a subtle web, in a little corner sly,
And set his table ready, to dine upon the Fly.
Then he came out to his door again, and merrily did sing,
'Come hither, hither, pretty Fly, with the pearl and silver wing;
Your robes are green and purple -- there's a crest upon your head;
Your eyes are like the diamond bright, but mine are dull as lead!'
Alas, alas! how very soon this silly little Fly,
Hearing his wily, flattering words, came slowly flitting by;
With buzzing wings she hung aloft, then near and nearer drew,
Thinking only of her brilliant eyes, and green and purple hue --
Thinking only of her crested head -- poor foolish thing! At last,
Up jumped the cunning Spider, and fiercely held her fast.
He dragged her up his winding stair, into his dismal den,
Within his little parlour -- but she ne'er came out again!
And now dear little children, who may this story read,
To idle, silly flattering words, I pray you ne'er give heed:
Unto an evil counsellor, close heart and ear and eye,
And take a lesson from this tale, of the Spider and the Fly.
~Mary Howitt, 1821
Foxes in London? I never knew about that!
NY is mice and roaches (yuck!). Luckily our apartment is pretty free of these. Over the last year i saw a mouse twice and maybe three roaches. I don't like to kill mice either, but roaches? Uhm. Sorry. I keep the apartment clean, but those nasty bugs got to go! Even though i saw them in Indonesia three times as big as here, i don't like them. Worse was the night i walked into the apartmentbuilding and was greeted by a huge rat running across the hall! A RAT! Those are not cute. At all.
Ok, long comment post, sorry 'bout that. You got me going here...
♥ issey
Some people really really REALLY hate mice:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/saudiarabia/2963744/Mickey-Mouse-must-die-says-Saudi-Arabian-cleric.html
I think I would too if I saw Mickey Mouse coming into my kitchen and rummaging around my cupboard at night.
Ah, but some of those Mickeys are getting fearless!
Pfff! I remember a few months ago while I typing away on a translation, a tiny little would often sit on the nearby side-table to watch me work ...as he ate my cookies!
He just sat there. Eating away. Watching me. No hurry. Fearless, I tell you.
I know, I know, I shouldn't keep food out while I work, but I can't help it!
Ismoyo: yes, many foxes, in my street as well, I have them on video and you can find a picture here which I took when it was in the garden. Once one was only a metre away from me when I got out of the car, so beautiful! Foxes and squirrels :)
Roaches is a different story, I wouldn't want those either, their just nasty *eeeew* but a rat??? Jim told me he saw a rat the size of a cat the other day when he was all the way in Baltimore... I hope yours wasn't that big, that must have scared you! *yuk!* Never be sorry for long comments, it's nice! :)
Dalton: *LOL* mice, the soldiers of satan... *mwuaaahahahahaaaaaaa* That article is quite disturbing but so is any type of fanaticism. You mean the person in the Mickey Mouse suit going through your stuff now don't you? :p You probably don't have mice since you've got many guards which I'm unfortunately allergic to ;)
Roam2Rome: *LOL* you're story is too funny! Oh yes I came across fearless ones too... so cute. They remind me somehow of that baby mouse in one of the Tom and Jerry shows where they are knights, that little one has got the same kind of attitude! A tiny bit of food is not bad and I hope it made you laugh, that is more important. I sure did, reading your comment :)
Dearest Tess... oh I love this!
Can I keep the mice!?
hee hee
{{{{{ hugs }}}}}}
You reminded me of Speedy Gonzalez :) "Andale, ándale, arriba, arriba!" LOL How sweet! :)
When I spent some time in the Guatemalan jungle I had to get used to tarantulas :) They are really, really scary :) but they are also beautiful in an odd sort of way :)
Cool colours and all I mean :)
Nice story and very well told my viendrin :) I always admire the way you write :)
Monica: hi sweet friend, just left a comment for you and I'm here to give you a virtual but firm hug when needed. You're in my thoughts and all your loved ones!!! And yes you can keep the mice :) I still have to adjust something for you that I would like to give you perhaps it will help you through a hard time. I will try and find it now and send it to you asap! A bit of rainbow for you... because you might need it... Hugs back at you!
Wen: I just love Speedy Gonzales, the cartoon is so funny! I know it sounds really odd but I'm not afraid of tarantulas. I used to work at the zoo near the Hague and at Artis in Amsterdam for years, as a photographer and in the dark room. I had to help a friend who worked there as well, feeding the lions, tigers, cheetahs, panthers, bears and the seals every now and then. I held lots of snakes and I also held the massive spiders in my hands.
I'm crazy because it's the 'in-between-sizes' that scare the hell out of me *hehe* Thank you dear friend, you always make me laugh, you did again today! :)
I used to pick up wild tarantulas in Texas when I went camping. They are gentle creatures, as long you don't piss them off.
hehe......I was surprised to read, " I also held the massive spiders in my hands."
Especially after the recent episode with the glass ;-)
But then you explain.
Tarantulas are kinda cool, but I'll say I wasn't too thrilled at the idea of finding them in my tent in the morning while in southern California years ago.
I never even knew what a roach was—well, living kind :-O
—till I lived in the SE US.
And those HUGE winged ones they have down there that the locals insist are not cockroaches but Palmetto Bugs.
Nasty...... and aggressive.
One summer in the '80s I was attending a workshop in Southern Mississippi where they put us up in the college dorms. One morning there was a huge one in the shower. I had no idea what it was so went to get a closer look.
And that sucker ran straight at me chasing me out of there!!!
No thanks.
And yes... unfortunately I had to return to that same place in Baltimore a few weeks later and the CatRats were still there.... No thanks again.
If I haven't told you already, remind me to tell you about my oldest bro and mousy... no, he wasn't bad. At least not to the little furry guy.
Dalton: yup I agree but it also depends on the kind... there are about 800 species and some are vicious and aggressive, I wouldn't want to pick those up. Some also have hairs that will irritate when touched, like the caterpillars I wrote about some time ago. So you do need to have some knowledge. There are really nasty [read aggressive] ones to be found on Borneo, locally called Earth Tigers. My dad told me some of his childhood stories about them... I wouldn't want to be near any of those, they're called 'Tiger' for a reason ;)
Jim: I have the same issue with heights, speed, anything... I don't have a problem being on top of a skyscraper and I had no problem with the Eiffel Tower (300m/986 ft) nor with the Tour Montparnasse (210m/689 ft) in Paris nor while abseiling, but I do feel uncomfortable looking down from the ninth floor balcony of a block of flats... I'm weird, I know ;)
I'm curious about your bugs *hehe* show me k? And CatRat was still there? Did you get footage? I'd like to see :) California: Marines? I thought you were a bunch of tough guys *hehe* I'm teasing... Well you'd better tell me all of those stories in 'real' life, would love to hear ;)
Yeah, I had a bug expert with me when I picked up tarantulas! A friend of mine had a tarantula as a pet, but that thing was a mean son-of-bitch.If you so much look at it, it would jump against the glass at you. Brrrrr.
We have wolf spiders here in Seattle and they look like tarantulas. Big and hairy with a mean bite.
No footage of CatRats.....too far away from cam (thank goodness).
Palmetto Bug (American cockroach) adults grow to an average length of around 4 centimetres...
The insect can travel quickly....registered a record speed of 5.4 kilometres per hour, about 50 body lengths per second, which would be comparable to a human running at 330 km/h.
I can't run that fast, but let me tell ya, I was moving out :-O
Tough guys can fear many things ;-)
Dalton: a vicious tarantula as a pet? *no thanks!* I just realised something: I was curious about 'your' Wolf spider and wanted to see what it looks like, it seems that the one I mentioned in this post is related to the Wolf spider, the UK version, no wonder... :)
Jim: I googled the rat and saw cat sized ones, too funny, shame you have no footage *hehe* I found this cool picture, wonder if I can add a picture to a comment ;) I will try in a few... I've seen cockroaches in Greece that were the same size as yours, bright orange ones right next to my tent *hehe* I don't mind them ;)