#rats in compost bin

[plant-cell-park]

she pandan on my rosas til i lala lalala lala lalala lala lalala lala lala la lala lalala lala lalala lala lalala la lalala

[juggalism]

theyre just animals trying to live etc etc but i swear to god im going to cry i was taking my dog out and not one but TWO rats ran across my feet bc they were on the porch

[turtlesandfrogs]

Ok, now I'm really concerned that how to prevent rats isn't common knowledge like I thought it was. So, to anyone whose parents/guardians/adults didn't teach you, here's the basics of prevention*:

Rats, like you, need three things: food, water, and shelter. If they don't get these things, they don't bother sticking around. Access to food is probably the biggest draw, and the one you can do the most about.

Rats eat the same foods you do, and the same food that most pets eat. You don't want them to have access to this food, so:

Don't leave dirty dishes laying around, the smell will attract rats. Don't put leave dirty dishes in your bed room, or under the couch, or in your car, or whatever. Dishwashers are great, but if you don't have a functional one, and you're low on energy/executive function, at a minimum cover your dirty dishes with soapy water instead of leaving them out. Rats can't eat soapy food.

Work to minimize food waste, because the smell of tasty food in your compost or garbage will attract rats.

Don't put food scraps in your indoor garbage unless your garbage can is rat proof. Take it outside asap, to a rat-proof bin.

When composting, if you're composting food that would be attractive to rats (grains, fats/oils, dairy, meat) it's best to: bury the food down in the center of the pile, try out bokashi composting, or have a rat-proof composter. Generally people do tell you not to compost dairy and meat, but I do know that some people do it anyway.

Keep your grains & legumes in rodent proof-containers. Glass jars, metal trash cans, etc.

If you have dogs, put their food away at night. If you have birds or other animals that eat a seed-based diet, then it pays to make their food/enclosures inaccessible to rats as well. Cats are rat deterrents so leaving dry food out for them is probably the one exception.

Clean up spilled foods immediately.

If you have fruit trees (like those apple trees everyone has that were planted 3 or more decades ago) and notice that something besides a deer is eating them, it's really best to pick all the fruit. You probably can't eat it all, so giving it away is a good option. Compost the rotten/icky ones fallowing the advice above, or dig a hole and do some trench composting.

Rats also need water, which is another reason to make sure you don't have any leaks anywhere, and to not leave beverages out in open containers.

Beyond that, thoroughly looking around your house, inside and out, to make sure there's no access points. Vents can be covered with wire mesh, holes the size of a dime need to be patched (because mice exist, too). Keep vegetation clear from around the base of your house, and make sure there's no trees or shrubs growing close enough to your house that a rat could make the leap to your roof. Keep an eye out for tunnels near your house's foundation, because they will tunnel underneath.

Also, while I'm at it, for the love of your house's structural integrity, DO NOT store wood piles against your house. Termites people!!!

And yes, there's a reason why cats are such a common pet. Not only do they hunt rats, the very smell of a cat is enough to deter rats. Do not just get a cat for rat prevention though, only get a cat if you're going to provide it a good home and are able to take on the additional care tasks without over extending yourself. Getting a housemate that comes with a cat is a great alternative to getting your own cat (and I'm only halfway joking).

*because prevention is much easier and much less terrible than dealing with an infestation. Prevention is so, so, so much easier than getting rid of them, particularly because once they're there, they'll start eating other things that wouldn't have been enough by themselves to draw them in.

[anipgarden]

Supporting Your Plants for Cheap

This is my fifth post in a series I'll be making on how to increase biodiversity on a budget! I’m not an expert--just an enthusiast--but I hope something you find here helps! 

Once you start gardening, you’ll find a lot of things go into it, and it can be a bit daunting to think about--especially if you’re trying to keep things low-cost. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be as hard--or as expensive--as it initially appears.

Composting

There’s several different ways to compost, any of which are helpful indirecting food waste and nutrients out of landfills and into your soil--which in and of itself can help increase biodiversity by making the space more livable for microorganisms and insects, which then cycles around to the rest of the habitat.

The classic one you see is hot composting. Most of the time, when I see hot composting set ups online, or hear people talking about them, it’s like listening to a wizard cast an intricate spell and prattle on about ratios and temperatures and special ingredients while standing over a detailed self-built setup made of the finest wood money can buy. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be complicated. First off, there’s lots of ways to make compost bins--some can be more expensive than others, but there’s definitely options asides from buying pre-made tumblers or getting an engineering degree. I’ve seen people use metal trash cans dug into the ground, make compost pile setups out of old pallets, or just pile stuff up and leave it. While using different ratios of certain items can help them decompose faster, it’s ultimately not something you need to worry about a lot. If it can break down, it’ll break down--it just might take awhile. Composting this way can also help provide habitat--some insects like bumblebees have been known to make nests in compost heaps. In addition, it provides a robust ecosystem for decomposers like worms and other organisms, and bats and birds will be attracted to open-top piles to eat flying bugs that live off the compost. Amphibians enjoy them for humidity, warmth, and feasting on insects. Do note that sometimes snakes may also rest in and lay eggs in compost heaps, so be careful when turning them.

Do note, though, that if your compost pile looks like that you're getting roaches and rats and raccoons out of your goddamn mind. Bury the food scraps.

Personally, when I compost, I use a worm bin--they’re a fantastic option for limited space and limiting smells. I keep mine outside in a big rubbermaid tote with holes drilled into the bottom, sides, and lid. I put a layer or two of weed block on the inside, so it’s still able to drain but keeps the worms from trying to escape during rainy days. There is an initial cost of buying the worms, getting enough bedding materials, and getting a new bin if you don’t have an old one suitable for use. But with occasional feeding, it should sustain itself and provide valuable worm castings that can be used in the garden. Please do note, however, that earthworms are considered invasive in some places.

Look at that worm bin-y goodness. This is a pic of my bin, from earlier this month!

Though I’ve never done it, I’ve heard of people having good results with bokashi composting--a method that’s done in a bucket, and is relatively easy to do indoors.

Once you start a composting system, keeping it stockpiled with organic material can become pretty easy for cheap. In general, if it comes from a plant, it’s safe to use. It’s also a good idea to avoid putting already-cooked things in a pile, as salts and sauces can kill beneficial bacteria in the compost while also attracting animals. Adding meat is also generally avoided to not attract animals. But below are some things that I’ve put in my worm bin quick, easy, and cheaply; or things I’ve seen friends put in their compost piles.

Cooking scraps/snack leftovers--things like cut up bell peppers, the ends of tomatoes, strawberry tops, apple cores, watermelon rinds, coffee grounds, and orange peels are amassed somewhat quickly in my house--my dad likes to cook. Around holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas? Corn husks, potato peels, sweet potato fibers, leftover greens and other trimmings are a feast for compost piles and worm bins.

Vegetables and Stuff that went bad in the fridge/pantry--we’re constantly victims of the ‘forgot it was there’ conundrum. Fridge cleanouts are great times to decide what can be tossed to the compost--moldy bell peppers, spotty celery, questionable carrots, onion halves, old eggs, bagged salads, and stale/moldy bread have all been tossed into the pile before! 

Grass clippings--though my worms don’t like grass clippings, they’re still great material for a classic hot compost set-up!

Fallen leaves--another classic addition to a hot compost pile. Some friends keep them stocked up and stored for later use.

Plant trimmings--what is plant clean up if not compost material? I’ve put cleaned-out sunflower heads and stalks in my worm bin, and they decomposed after about two months. If you get  blossom end rot on your tomatoes or peppers, they’re still fair game for the bin as well!

Shredded mail--just make sure to not put in the thin plastic that covers the address section on some envelopes. Otherwise? As long as  the paper isn’t glossy, it should be great for a bin or pile! Shredded paper or cardboard also makes great bedding for worm bins. Put those Amazon boxes to good use!

Pumpkins! Snag your neighbor’s halloween pumpkins in November and toss them in my compost! Last year my dad went around the cul-de-sac and nabbed all of the post-halloween pumpkins, the worms loved it.

Christmas tree needles--can’t confirm I’ve tried this, but it seems like it would work.

Mulch

Mulch is an excellent way to keep your soil moist, while also beginning and continuing to improve soil conditions as it breaks down into organic matter. You’ll have to water less, and it’ll prevent/slow down the growth of unwanted weeds (which is always the final straw to gardening for me, I get so overwhelmed I just stop going outside). Win-win situation, right? Except stepping into a Home Depot and finding mulch being sold for five dollars per square foot and knowing you have to cover a whole garden with it all can add up… pretty quickly, to say the least.

Fortunately, there are a few solutions to this, and likely from your own backyard!

Grass clippings are the first that come to mind. If you’re mowing your lawn, or have neighbors who are, collecting the clippings and spreading them over your soil is a cheap and easy option for some quick mulch. It’ll be very nitrogen-heavy, so keep that in mind, but it’ll still prevent weeds, retain moisture, and break down into organic material over the course of a few months. Do try to not use grass clippings you know are treated with pesticides, since the aim is to use this mulch to help increase your biodiversity, and having insects around plays a big role in that.

Fallen leaves are the next that comes to mind. If you’ve got a tree in your yard, or in your neighborhood, then you or someone around you knows the neverending avalanche of leaves or pine needles that drop come fall. As mentioned before, they can be used to make brush piles for creatures, or added into compost, but they have a fantastic third use as mulch. Add them on top of your beds!

Want free wood mulch? A program called Chip Drop might be the best solution for you! They team up with arborists to find cheap drop sites for shredded wood, logs, etc. that are produced as they maintain trees! If any local arborists tied to the program are operating in your area, instead  of paying to dump the resulting mulch at a landfill or some other dumpside, they’ll simply dump it at your place! Now, you won’t be able to control when the mulch gets dropped--I’ve heard of people coming home from work one day to find a chip drop in their driveway. But… free mulch!

Want wood chips but not a whole truck load? If an arborist is working in your area, and you can muster the courage, its worth a shot to ask! One time someone in my neighborhood was getting a tree removed, so my Dad and I parked near their car with a tarp in the trunk, some shovels, and an old storage bin. We approached nicely and asked if we could have some chips, and they were totally cool with it! At that point, how much you get depends on how big your trunk space is, and how many times you’re willing to ferry mulch back and forth out of your car so you can go back for more. But it is an option! Alternatively, you can ask them to dump the whole load in front of  your house, but at least you’ll know when and where it’s happening!

Trellises

Many plants need, or will appreciate, some kind of climbing structure. But trellises aren’t often cheap to find. To that, I say--we’ll create our own!

One popular option is to grow taller plants, and then plant climbing species are few weeks/years later so they’ll climb the taller plants! I’ve planted passion vine near a tree in my garden for it to climb, and I’ve seen people do similar concepts with sunflowers, corn, and other such plants! Sunflower stalks can provide support even after they’ve been cut back.

A combination of wood, some stakes, some nails, and some string can create a great frame trellis that can be used for beans, tomatoes, vines, etc--so I’m sure if could be put to good use for native climbers, especially since my dad’s used this structure for passion vines before. You may have to replace the string every year, but most of the time, the string is compostable anyways!

This may take a bit more setup and have a more upfront cost, but creating a trellis out of cattle panels makes a durable structure that can support all kinds of vining plants! 

Of course, there’s always the easy alternative of simply letting plants climb along your fence! This is especially easy if you have a chain link fence, but wooden fences are plenty suitable for some species as well! I’ve seen passion vines do great growing along chain link fences as supports, and one of my favorite sights as a kid was always seeing bushels of trumpet vines growing up and over fences on the drive home.

Why are we worrying about trellises? Creatures are attracted  to diverse landscapes with a variety of plants within them, so having a few climbers can be a great way to attract more wildlife! I know some plants in my area that pollinators are attracted to, or even rely on as host plants, are climbers that can get upwards of 15 feet tall, and will climb any surface you give them. A trellis provides you a great place to put extremely beneficial plants.

That's the end of this post! My next post is gonna be about how different 'kinds' of plants can all be beneficial in a biodiversity standpoint. Until then, I hope this advice was helpful! Feel free to reply with any questions, your success stories, or anything you think I may have forgotten to add in!

[meanpregcomm]

Puppy Problems

Oof, Cinnamon came to a stop after only a block. Her swollen belly nearly dragged on the ground--there was no way she could keep up with the pack. They circled back when they noticed she was missing, and King, bigger than her and formerly patient with her, doing his guardian breed ancestors proud, immediately started to berate her.

"Cinnamon--you're useless," he snapped. "You haven't caught a rat in a year. You're too pregnant to keep up." She hung her head. "And then there's the puppies," he continued, "and then we suddenly have eight more mouths to feed. Enough already. The next time you come into heat you need to fight them off."

The eighteen-month-old spaniel sighed. He was right, she'd been continuously pregnant since she was six months old. She couldn't keep up with her street pack or contribute to hunting or protecting the other dogs. But she just couldn't say no when she was in heat. 

She did think King was being a bit unfair. His long, wolfy legs carried him much more quickly over the pavement than hers could, even when her belly didn't drag on the ground. And he didn't seem to mind making the puppies with her! Just last month when she had come into her season, King's cock had been one of the first to split her. But he wasn't wrong, even though Star had carried a few litters, she never seemed to get as pregnant as Cinnamon. Plus, she was a greyhound, and her belly started a lot higher off the ground than Cinnamon's!

A few weeks later Cinnamon's pups were born. She had to hang out around the back of the grocery store, behind the dumpsters. The rest of the pack knew they'd get caught right away if they had such young puppies with them. There was enough to eat by the dumpsters and she could hide the puppies in the swales when the grocery distribution trucks pulled up. She was bored and lonely, but King was right to leave her here. He was a good pack leader, even though he yelled.

They'd been gone for two days when Cinnamon came into heat again. The males started to come for miles around. She snapped at the first few errant beagles and pit mixes that came near her, but by the time the big boys arrived, her willpower was gone and her hormones were telling her to let them help her make a bunch of new mutts. The first to mount her was a Rottweiler, then two mastiff mixes, a lab, and three foxhounds. And they just kept finding her, and she just kept backing up into them, whining and giving them little spaniel kisses as they crushed her with their muscular bodies and ejaculated in her overtaxed pussy. By the time the pack got back she had had 18 cocks inside her. 

The guys smelled her when they got back. Star looked at her in disdain, and sniffed around the compost bins, waiting for her packmates to come to their senses. Her packmates began to mount her, hormones turning them from the boys who brought her bits of cheese when she was too pregnant to move, but who were now males, be-hackled and focused on continuing their genetic lines. She was supposed to leave the pack when she came into heat, but between having her latest puppies and getting fucked senseless by the entire neighborhood, she didn't have the time. So now she was being pounded again. She was exhausted but if they had stopped she would have begged for more and crawled to them and licked their chins until they fucked her more.

It was only a few weeks until her belly announced that she was heavily pregnant again. She was so big after only a month that she couldn't move. Her legs simply didn't reach around her swollen middle. And she was only halfway done with her pregnancy. The boys, assholes though they could be, started to worry about her. "What happened?" they asked. "Oh," she said, ashamed, "I think the guys I had this time were...really big dogs." "WHAT?!" King shouted. "You'll get yourself killed having a big's dogs pups. You irresponsible slut." 

Cinnamon, with tears in her eyes, continued "and there were...a lot of them. And then you guys came back and I couldn't really stop you."

King stared. "How many do you think there are?"

Cinnamon gestured to her immobility. "I don't know, it could be fifteen. It could be more."

She smiled weakly, hoping a little flattery would get her out of this sticky situation with her pack leader. Without him, what would she do? "What can I say? I like big, fertile studs. I don't want to have more puppies but it just keeps happening to me."

After another week. her belly wasn't cute anymore. She could only comfortably lie half on her back, giant swollen mound of a tummy weighing her down. She couldn't move around much but she tried her best to nurse her young pups, who constantly screamed with hunger. Then she came into season again. Her pack went crazy, even her teenage sons from her first pregnancy, humping her prone body over and over as she moaned in pleasure. After every male had satisfied himself, she broke down in sobs, terrified. "What have I done to myself? How can I have more pups? I just can never say no. Not that I could have stopped them, with my massive round middle keeping me from being able to protect myself. I am so ashamed."

Two weeks later an improbably huge Cinnamon was howling in pain while giant pup after giant pup passed through her birth canal. After two hours of pushing out even more unwanted puppies, she was about half the size she had been but still undeniably, massively pregnant. She thought back to her surprise second heat and began to cry. "Help me," she begged her pack, as her 17 new puppies began to fight her eight older puppies for nipples. She tried to massage her still swollen stomach, achingly full of the next litter. And that litter might have her son's puppy in it. She wished someone would put their cock inside her to make her less sad.

[determinate-negation]

Yo have you got any good suggestions for getting started with composting? It really annoys me there's no food waste/composting trash service here in my city (there was in the one I grew up in) and I hate throwing away food all the time. Just want to make sure I don't put stuff in a compost bin that shouldn't go in or attract rats yknow?

there are diy compost bins you can buy or make if you have a yard or any type of outdoor space and i think they are like enclosed so rats cant get in. if you live in a city there might be compost sites at a community garden or drop off sites run by an organization or something like that. if you do it yourself ive seen these ones like this that tumble, i just found this on home depot i think there are some cheaper ones but this may be around the average price. you can do the three bin system which is cheaper but thats more labor intensive and probably takes up more space. if youre composting at home you cant put meat cheese or bread in it because it wont break down but industrial facilities can process more stuff

[kedreeva]

Is there any specific care guides for mice you can recommend? I have rats and have been keeping them a long time, how similar is their care? I have a spare 40 gallon breeder and I've been thinking about getting mice for awhile, how many mice would be a good number for that size enclosure?

Guides, no, as I've never used a pet guide. I've talked about mouse enclosures before, it'll be under my /mice tag. My best advice for guides is take it with a grain of salt. Ask keepers if something sounds off.

As for a 40g, personally I wouldn't use something that large or deep without ventilation. Mice don't like open spaces, it stresses them. So the work you'd have to do to fill a 40g with enough stuff to keep them chill is ridiculous. People will try to argue things like oh well they have the whole world/house as their home in the wild, and this boggles me because okay, yeah they do and they chew out a small tight space they can hide in and if you've seen one they're basically stressed and terrified they're going to get eaten constantly. Anyway. Bigger isn't better when it comes to mice, unless you're aiming for bioactive in which case no you aren't. Don't do that.

The other thing is ventilation. A glass aquarium doesn't have it. You can get an aquarium fan to attach to the top to circulate air and dry the bedding but honestly it's better to just build a bin cage. There's a lot of DIY guides if you just search "DIY mouse bin." It's basically a standard storage tote with 1-4 windows cut in the sides that have been patched with hardware cloth. This allows air flow and prevents ammonia buildup. It's cheap to do. It provides a good amount of space for around 6 mice.

If the 40g is what you want to use, get the fans and start looking into how to get a bunch of small cardboard boxes or where to get a bunch of wooden hides you can stack and arrange. Personally in my one larger aquarium enclosure, I like cardboard because I don't have to clean it- I can just go compost it when it gets soiled. They also chew their own paths through the boxstravaganza, which gives them something to do and means each setup is unique.

The rule of thumb for mouse density in pets is usually 1 mouse per 50square inches of floor space. HOWEVER "floor space" is a little nebulous. Horizontal space that's above floor level, like an extra shelf or other raised flat surface, particularly if it has extra stuff for them like hides or enrichment activities, can count towards that total. My 30g has 360 inches of floor space on the bottom level, but it's got 3 levels of varying floor spaces. So at most it has 12 mice even though literal bottom floor space would only "allow" 7 (though granted it usually only has 6-8 because there are does out for litters), because it has a lot of raised floor space.

As for rats vs mice, it's really not that different. Slightly different nutritional needs and don't keep male mice together unless you know what they're doing because unlike rats, male mice often fight to the death.

[black-suns-rim]

Character interactions part 3(?)

I can't remember how many of these I've made so far, so I'll call this post part 3, lol. This time I'm involving my non-yautja ocs. So, enjoy ^;;^

Morf: -is tinkering around with some tech because he is bored-

Monarch: Morf! Did you complete the ship's maintenance already?

Morf: Yep. And I gave some places a deep clean because the dust build-up was disturbing. Oh! Look, look! -motions Monarch over-

Monarch: what?

Morf: -points out the window of the ship, off into space-

Monarch: what should I be looking at?

Morf: out there! Isn't it so pretty? :D

Monarch: ....

Monarch: you really are a farm boy...

Dark Sun: -is trying to shop for his group since they all are sick. (He has crippling social anxiety) He goes to a vending stand. He stands there, trying to think of what to say-

The vender: -sees the giant black dargonborn with many scars standing in front of their stand, looking very menacing and mean. Thinks they might get robbed by him-

Dark Sun: um... can I get some of your herbal healing tea blend and a couple of your healing potions?

The vender: -just hands him the stuff and immediately closed his vendonf stand-

Dark Sun: .....

Dark Sun: I didn't pay you...

Azvameth: -to one of his underlings- ugh! When will these insects learn that they are not welcome here?

Underling: the small moth kids?

Azvameth: no, the other annoying balls of light that come around here... OF COURSE THE MOTH KIDS! They are literally the only other creatures that come into these lands you imbecile. Ugh, I hate kids...

Underling: .....Why?

Azvameth: -agressivly inhales-

Black Momba: -is overstimulated and agitated-

Someone: -stands too close to her-

Black Momba: -punches them-

Kahn'shu: Peepa, you need to eat the grub meal

Peepa: you are not making me eat that disgusting sludge!

Kahn'shu: -thinks. holds up spoon- here comes the space ship-

Peepa: -eats the grub meal-

Koi, Sombra and Archaic: -doing their chores-

Archaic: I don't understand why Oracle makes us learn about stuff we will never need. -tumps food scraps into compost bin-

Sombra: what do you mean? We totally need to know how to do these things if we wanna live on our own someday.

Archaic: really? Feeding the food scraps to the worms.. learning about what plant you can and can't eat, and how not to prepare tea? I find it useless. We can always just go to the market if we need anything.

Sombra: -sighs- but what if there is no market?

Sombra and Archaic: -start to bicker with each other-

Koi: -watches them bicker-

Oracle: -walks to Koi- what are they arguing about now?

Koi: it started off about your teachings, but now I think they are just insulting each other.

Oracle: -sighs- come, I need you to squeeze into a place that I cannot fit in.

Koi: ok ^;;^

Morf: -is home and showing one of his city friends around on the village farm-

Ki'thri: the fields are so big. How do you not get lost?

Morf: oh, I've gotten lost in them many times

Ki'thri: ...are we lost right now?

Morf: ...yes...

Ki'thri: ....

Morf: I'm just kidding -laughs-

Ki'thri: Oh my gosh, Morf! -playfuly smacks him- I think I'm ready to see the other animals you have in your village

Morf: ok... can I borrow your hollow pad?

Ki'thri: why?

Morf: ....

Ki'thri: we are lost

Morf: ...we are lost

Puffball (sky kid): -scuttles up to the yautja that basically adopted them. Honks-

The yautja: -is polishing a skull. Looks down at Puffball- what? What is it?

Puffball: -dropps a dead rat-like creature at his feet and honks-

The yautja: ....

Puffball: -honks some more and looks pleased with themself-

The yautja: well... it's not a big kill, but you're still learning -pats Puffball-

[nana2359-blog]

TW: Animal remains. Devaneio tries bleaching bones.

Good soup

(It's a rat skull my boyfriend found inside a composter bin)

[ryuzatodraws-archive]

this isn’t that unhinged tbh but uhhh copia collects all of his rats’ poop and puts it in the compost bin in primo’s greenhouse to be used as fertilizer 😌

Now that’s a good guy right there

Wholesome: 10/10

[theretirementstory]

Bonjour et bienvenue from a cloudy Bar-sur-Aube where the temperature is only 6c. It has been windy and yesterday did it pour with rain! It was wet inside and outside of my house, I really do wish that on one dry day the roofer will arrive and fix this problem. I can’t see it being done this side of Christmas but I have been wrong before 😉.

So what have I been doing this week? Well it has been week three of radiotherapy so that’s 15 sessions “under my belt” which means there are just two more sessions to go 😁. That gives me the opportunity to plan my Christmas and New Year meals. I think I have decided on the starter, Marinated Goats Cheese with Pears and Walnuts 😋, I think a light dessert too so thought pavlova or meringue with fruit and cream. I was going to have filet mignon (pork) but am contemplating a turkey breast with sage and onion stuffing, bread sauce, roast potatoes, roasted parsnips and sprouts.

The car went to the garage as it had been recalled. I waited the 45 minutes and everything was fine. That was really good news as at the moment I am out in the car every day.

With all the rain and frost we have been having the cyclamen were getting waterlogged and I really don’t want to lose them. I moved them under the laurel bush, thinking it may be a bit drier there for them. The chrysanthemums now have brown heads on the flowers but I have left them where they are.

The other afternoon I came out of the house and running up my driveway was something brown, aaargh I thought a rat then realised it was a hedgehog, what on earth was it doing out in the daylight and should it not have been curled up sleeping for the winter? I managed to get quite close to get a photo (but not close enough to see fleas etc). The next day, about lunchtime, I was going out in the car and saw the young hedgehog again walking along the grass verge, I decided if it was still out and about when I got back I would put it into a box. Well yes it was still pootling around, did I go and get a box, no I didn’t, he looked happy enough “grubbing along the verge” then he decided to cross the road, so standing downwind of him I was the “lollipop lady” I would have jumped in front of a car if it had approached (well maybe). He limboed under a neighbours gate and proceeded down his driveway. Now I had seen this neighbour walking home from the shop so I waited to tell him he had a hedgehog in his garden, he spoke to me as if to a child who had seen it’s first hedgehog 😂😂. My next door neighbour was telling me that they had had a rat in the garden (shiver) and it had come right up to their French doors and stood on its hind legs and looked inside the window (was he winding me up?). Anyway the next he knew there was a BIG hedgehog in the garden seeing off the rat (not into my garden thank goodness) was he “pulling my leg?”

I read “online” (so it must be true) that from 1 January 2024, here in France, food waste is not to be put in your dustbin, it must be composted. Well I will put my fruit and vegetable waste into my own composter but any other waste, bread, skin off meat and fish won’t be going anywhere near my own composter, I hope they have bins in town as, if that’s what they want, I will put it in there. I have been putting the sunflower heads (minus seeds) dead flowers and my vegetable peelings into the composter, not that I expect any grubs, snails etc to be in there to turn them into compost but I can just hope.

Last Sunday I went to the Marche de Noel in Bayel. What a surprise I got when I went into the Salle there were about 30 exhibitors selling all kinds of items, artists with their paintings, authors with their books, of course the association of which the knitting workshop is part, but there were stained glass items, woodworked items and the knitted, crocheted and sewn items. Although not a lot of sales on the knitted, crocheted items a lot of the stained glass items were sold. I found out afterwards that Marlene had been there but we never saw each other. What a shame, it would have been nice to catch up.

On Monday, I got a bit of a shock, according to the newspaper there was a fire at “La Pomme d’Or”hotel/bar, a woman and her daughter were taken to hospital. The fire broke out in the early hours of Sunday morning! On Friday I read that a man in his 50’s had been charged with attempted assassination and destruction of property by dangerous means. Then yesterday I read that the towns Mayor has filed a complaint for alleged theft against his deputy. Blimey it all happens in this town!

Anie is preparing for her trip to Indonesia, I have wrapped her presents and will deliver them when she returns. Monique tested positive for Covid so has not been to see me and she messages that she hopes to visit as soon as she can.

On Friday evening I met Pauline, we went to the travelling exhibition from the Centre Pompidou in Paris which had rolled up in town. I had seen it advertised weeks before and sent the piece from the journal to inform Pauline. What an exhibition! I am not big on art and to wander around a huge place looking at works is overload for me, so this grand camion with the display was perfect, a bite sized chunk not too much to overload the senses. I wanted to take photos of the lights in the street so I drove us back to town, parked by the river and we walked to opposite her grandmas house. I got one photo then we stood talking for goodness knows how long, my feet felt rooted to the spot! I had such a lovely evening that when I got home my mind was just so active and I was on a bit of a “high”.

Music slot puts in an appearance and again it’s two different songs, same title and these two were from the same year, 1979. The title is “Angel Eyes” by ABBA and Roxy Music.

“The Trainee Solicitor” and “The Ex-Graduate” have both felt a little unwell this week, is it a cold, ‘flu or Covid??? “The Trainee Solicitor” waved goodbye to his motor vehicle it has gone to the car graveyard. Good news for “The Ex-Graduate” an interview is on the cards for this week for a “real” job, she is fed up of working this interim job now so fingers crossed.

“The Daddy” had one works Xmas “do” last night, at Sneaton Hall in Whitby. I asked what was on the menu and he had no idea! Blimey me shows where my thoughts lie all the time doesn’t it? Is it a mum thing or just the thoughts of someone who loves food 😂😂.

I had mentioned to Maud that in the New Year we will go to “La Belvedere” again and have already checked out the menu 😂😂.

The cinema in town posted their programme on social media, I noticed that Napoleon was on but not in VO so I emailed and asked if they would be showing it in the original version. They replied that they are showing the film through to 19 December hopefully with a few sessions in VO but they have to get approval for that from the films distributor. Fingers crossed folks!

Last night, I decided to stuff a few dates to put with some chocolates for my ladies at the knitting group on Friday. I also found a recipe for fudge made in the microwave, sounds easy, so I may give it a try this year.

Wow there has been a lot happening this week.

The photos are of the Chateau in Vendeuvre -sur-Barse and taken from the brochure, the painting that I found caught my eye at the exhibition.

Jusqu’à la semaine prochaine

[glitchysquidd]

okay i cant decide between birds and guinea pigs but im gonna ramble about my guinea pigs because theyre fabulous

ive got two of the little stinkies and they're like all the good parts of a cat mixed with all the good parts of a rat and then put them in the body of a big ol hampter and it's amazing also you can give them all the vegetables and fruits that a just a little past their prime and they're like cute little compost bins except for dont given them rotten shit cause thats mean and theyre so soft and make the cutest little squeaks and theyre very low maintenance and literally the bestest boys also sleepy guinea pigs are the cutest thing on this planet they're just so dumb looking and i love them guinea pigs <333333333

OHHHH I USED TO HAVE TWO!!

They have passed from old age, but I loved them dearly!!

It was adorable seeing them jump and make their noises! Popcorning!

Guinea pigs when they popcorn ,!!!!! Like!!!!!

So cute....

My guinea pigs didn't like me touching them so I'd let them chill out, feed them and leave em be unless I had to clean their cage, they'd usually let me give their heads lil scratches though. Only after I give em their veggies or fruit.

They were my babies!!

[100dayproductivity]

95/100.

One of those days where I'm feeling overwhelmed by chores and don't know where to start. You ever have those days? You feel kind of paralyzed and end up doing nothing, right? I'm finding what helps me is to start in the corner of the kitchen with dishes and go from there.

First, I clear off my drying rack area:

It wasn't bad today, just a couple of things. The mug stays there; it's what I put cutlery in to dry. The yogurt container is for compost.

Next, I have to finish filling up my dishwasher and running it.

I got a new countertop mini-dishwasher recently because my old dishwasher stopped working and I couldn't keep up with hand-washing. The old dishwasher is pretty old--over 15 years old, probably. I didn't think it was worth getting repaired. However, I wasn't sure I wanted a new full-size dishwasher to replace it. My eldest child just went off to university this year and my youngest child is only with me part-time. The rest of the time I'm by myself. Do I really need a full-size dishwasher for 1.5 people? Also, I'm really thinking ahead to possibly downsizing at some point. Plus, I didn't want to deal with having to get a plumber to install a new unit at this time. So, I decided to try this cute little thing. It was on sale. (I can't remember the price off the top of my head, I think it came to about $300 CAD including taxes and shipping?) Jury is still out on whether it was a good buy. It's VERY small. But I knew it would be mainly for dishes and cutlery, not pots and pans. I'm okay with hand-washing a few things, just needed a little extra helping hand so I wasn't drowning in dishes every day. So from that standpoint, it's fulfilling its purpose.

Lol, I know the before and after pics look the same but I DID squeeze a few more things into the dishwasher. What's left is mostly things that just need to be rinsed out: my Turkish coffee pot and French press, a pot I steamed veggies in, a takeout container that will go in the trash.

In clearing off the stovetop I discovered I still had about a half cup of coffee left in the French press. Woohoo! Yay me! ☕

In the sink I have: a cat food tin and a meat tray (the brown stuff is just coffee grounds). These go in recycling but I like to wash things out before putting in the recycling bin so that things don't get stinky in there because a) stinky recycling is 🤢 and b) it won't attract raccoons and rats that way.

Now, I have to take a break from dishes for a minute to deal with laundry. I had put this laundry outside to dry the other day but I want to run it through air fluff in the dryer to suck out lint and soften the fabric up a bit.

That big box with what looks like a little doorway is what the mini-dishwasher came in. My cat loves it! His own personal little fort. 😆 I guess I'm keeping it for now.

Here he is enjoying his privacy:

Ok, back to the kitchen, I have a pot roast I wanted to put in the crockpot for dinner. Hopefully it's not too late!

Oops! I forgot about the max 10 photos per post. Stay tuned for my next post if you want to see the pot roast!

[harrison-abbott]

She put up the dead flowers around the house and the visitors came and none of them noticed them and they remained dead in watered jars in the living room and the kitchen table and one pot in the little toilet too and they stayed there in their dead colours for ten days until she took them all out and they were all in dark blues pinks and purples now with their shrivelled petals and she tossed them all into the compost bin along with the killed onion skins and carrot peels and the apples that nobody had bothered to eat and the strawberry leafy ends which had been knifed off a week before and the flies were feasting in there and flew up in crazed spouts when she opened the compost lid and she already knew that the rats from the nearby shed liked the bin too and she’d seen them darting about here before with their fat shapes and lizardy tails and didn’t wish to see them again so she shut the lid again and hurried back into the house and shut the kitchen door and that was that.

[inthecityofgoodabode]

June 2023: The Backyard Garden

A couple of shots of the backyard garden from the patio: 

We have tomatoes: 

This is an experiment. We had some of the pumpkins we’d picked up off the curb in the Fall in this garbage can. Rotting pumpkins smell awful... think dead rat with hints of dog shit. Anyway, the can is heavy with liquid from the pumpkins breaking down so I stuck these red clover plants in there thinking they will absorb the liquid and, hopefully, make the can light enough to move to our compost bins. We’ll see how that pans out:  

[1st-choicepestcontrol]

How to Control Household Pests in Singapore?

Do you enjoy having bugs in your house?

Naturally, nobody does that! Even those who find these creatures intriguing do not want vermin running loose in their home, causing unsanitary conditions. In actuality, the invasion of practically all pests—from the buzzing fly and itchy mosquito bite to the painful bee sting—is not only annoyance-inducing but also dangerous. Rats, cockroaches, and mosquitoes can spread sickness, but termites can harm your house. Complete pest control is the only solution for this issue.

How can they be repelled?

Keeping the bugs out is the greatest way to get rid of a pest infestation. Water, food, and shelter are the three essential components that every living thing requires to survive. You may make it difficult for these pests to feel comfy by eliminating their food source and hiding places. This will lessen the possibility of pests moving into your house. In order to keep bugs out, you should also seal any potential entry points, such as cracks and holes in the exterior of your home.

Common Household Pest Control in Singapore:

Garbage Disposal Procedures:

Did you realize? Pests enjoy hanging around in and near the trash. In actuality, they can reproduce there and get their food directly from the waste dump. To reduce the risk of these pests, you must be especially careful when disposing of rubbish. Instead of having garbage cans throughout your home, have one in your kitchen for putting out food waste.

Using trash cans with self-closing lids is one of the finest solutions because it keeps the debris out of insects' grasp. To prevent pests from feasting, make sure your compost bin is lined with fabric and has tight-fitting covers. As a result, recycle containers should be frequently cleaned and sanitised before being placed back where they belong.

Install mosquito screens: 

For natural ventilation, most homeowners like to keep their doors and windows open. Unfortunately, mosquitoes and other flying insects can easily enter your home through open windows. In this situation, mosquito screens keep pests and trespassers out of your house. Fresh air and ventilation can enter without being obstructed by the mesh. However, make sure the screen is impenetrable—holes allow bugs to easily crawl in.

Fill up the Holes and Cracks: 

Every home undoubtedly contains gaps, holes, and cracks that are simple to overlook when assessing our home. Rats and other insects can enter through these openings and explore your cozy abode. As a result, you should frequently inspect the outside of your home or hire an expert.

Clean Stagnant Water:

In the stagnant water, mosquitoes deposit their eggs and grow. Any stagnant water at your house needs to be covered or removed. Always keep an eye out for any water that has become stagnant in the buckets, flower pots, and other containers.

Conclusion

For affordable pest control services in Singapore, you can also get in touch with a reputable business like 1st Choice pest control.