Our backyard, has turned into a bit of worry war zone for me. The increasing heat, has also brought with it, the higher risk of Snakes and seemingly other insects. Within the week, we have had two baby snakes slither around our yard and then exit under our fence, one of which was "caught" by our next door neighbour. Several red back spiders have been squashed, and two gigantic wasps that like to sit around our backdoor have continued to attempt to enter the house everytime we open the door.
It really feels like a jungle out there.
I'm left feeling a little bit out of my depth. And reluctant to go outside. It's just not a relaxing place anymore. Instead I feel on guard all the time. Glancing over every nook and possible cranny where a snake or spider could have found a place, before I let the girls go near there. It's just not fun. I keep the spade nearby me as wander I through the yard. There are just as many venomous as non-venomous snakes in this part. All quite similar looking. Any snake, to cross our path, and not move away from us very quickly, will be treated as venomous. And the foam cricket bat. Well that is kept next to the back door for the wasps, which have currently still evaded my heavy handed swipes at them (I've tried spraying them, but nothing seems to kill these two).
Over the weekend, we did another backyard clean up. Removed any food source or crumb that could attract. Or water source. A clean up and tidy of all spots where something could be hiding. Though still no discovery of the elusive wasps nest.
I realise, that worrying over such things is practically futile. There are going to be snakes and insects everywhere, closer than I will ever probably realise, or want to realise in these parts, and that most hopefully won't bother us. But it's the possibility of all that could go wrong, that continues to unsettle me. Especially since the idea of being so close to and having to possibly kill something like a snake (and be close enough to do so), leaves me feeling a little nervous.
Have you seen or killed a snake yourself?
Used a spade to do it?!!
How stressful with two little girls at home especially as you tend to live in the backyard when it's hot. We live in inner city Brisbane and we have had three snakes brought into the house by our cat. One of which of course when my husband was away for work and I had an 8 month old baby crawling everywhere. It was a small black snake and ended up trapped under my ceramic tagine cooker and swiftly squashed. Horrifying! Just wanted to share that even in the burbs us gals are snake wrangling. mel x
ReplyDeleteAnd while I'm thinking about it...did you squash it with your tagine?!!
DeletePleased I'm not alone!! How petrifying to have a snake actually in your house. You were very brave squashing it. Hope I can react as swiftly, and not be panicked if I have the bad luck to run into one outdoors, let alone indoors!
ReplyDeleteoh my goodness! killed a snake myself? if i ever saw a snake i would freeze, petrified, and just start crying. i absolutely hate snakes, though i truly try my hardest to love any living thing snakes really freak me out. snakes, ants (we had large carpenter ants in my house growing up, all over! it has developed into myrmecophobia), and sharks are all on my bad side. i do not like creatures that "stare", and these three all have a "staring" tendency! it really freaks me out.
ReplyDeletespiders i don't mind, though we don't have a lot of poisonous spiders around where i live, so i'm neither repulsed nor intimidated by them. i have to admit, though, my son roman is very susceptible to skin irritations and has often woken up with weird bites, so if i do see any creepy crawlies in our apartment i trap them and put them outside. not a killer of wasps or bees, either.
good luck...!
Thank you Amber.
DeleteI feel the same, you won't catch me in the ocean as I don't want to run into a shark, and this week, you won't catch me in my backyard either because I don't want to run into a snake.
Perhaps it's time I toughen up a little, to suit my environment!!