Planning to get lots of new stock this weekend at a bug show. If there is anything specific that you would like me to look out for then please let me know. I already have a few requests. I have a long shopping list for myself as usual. Those of you who read my blog regularly will no doubt know that I write lists for everything. I am aiming to concentrate on tarantulas and other animals that can 'look after themselves for a week', that's my aim for this show. I have far too many stick insects, bush crickets, beetles and other insects that need daily care. I have finally booked a summer holiday, my daughter and I are off to Cyprus for a week. Unfortunately my hubby cannot take a holiday this summer as he is working at the Olympics. He therefore gets to look after all the animals, pets and bugs! (with help from other family members). I sometimes forget how scared of the bugs he is, I love it in my bug house but he is constantly looking around and up at the ceiling to see what monsters may be coming to get him. I sometimes ask him to come and help me with something and he freaks out if he sees a cobweb or an escaped cricket. Perhaps he will have to sing to himself while out there (I sing when I'm nervous, it aids concentration). If he doesn't spray the bugs morning and evening it will be left to my mother in-law who is even more terrified. She managed to drown my praying mantis by spraying them with her eyes shut! Needless to say she has lost the job and been demoted to dog sitter.
My holiday is only six weeks away so I need to get organised and hopefully sell lots of bugs before then. April was a great month for sales but May has been awful so far. Last month I was dashing around nonstop with everyone saying "I don't know why you don't take on some help". My work is so up and down and I have no control over what orders come in or when, there is no way I could employ anyone, not unless they were working for free. I have some wonderful repeat customers (believe me I appreciate and love you all) but I wish I could attract more new customers. I am thinking of giving out a free postage voucher to anyone who introduces someone to my website. I just need the time to organise it. Whatever is going on in my life, my paperwork pile is always there tormenting me. I never get to the bottom of it so it is very difficult to bypass it and get on with something new, like the tarantula information notes that I am desperate to start on!
Life in the bug house is going well. I had my first two baby Crested geckoes of the year, hatch this week, they are just so cute. No egg cases yet from my recently mated tarantulas but patience is a virtue (so I'm told). The wildlife garden is going well too, not surprising with all this rain. I have started my Gabion Garden, I bought some gabion cages and am now in the process of filling them with anything that British bugs may like to live in. I got the idea when I went to Butterfly World in St Albans (a lovely place, you should all go and visit!) www.butterflyworldproject.com. Basically gabions are large metal cages that you see beside motorways, holding back soil at the sides of the road. They are usually filled with rocks but I am filling them with 'junk'. It is a good way to get me to stop hoarding everything and throw it away (almost). I have old toys, flower pots, wood, towels, shells and of course a number of rocks too. At the moment they are hidden behind a fence halfway down my garden. If they don't look too bad when I have finished then we will take the fence down but I have a feeling they will look hideous and the fence will have to stay! I'm hoping to attract bees, flies, spiders, beetles and I'm sure all the amphibians from my various ponds will love it. The baby birds in our camera nest box are thriving, mum and dad are popping in and out with food constantly (I can see inside the box on my computer). I bought them some mealworms and waxworms yesterday. I cannot say the name of the 'common little garden birds' as it tends to get blocked by some internet servers as 'unacceptable language'.
I really am intrigued to know why I have so many customers in Finland? I am absolutely delighted, I can only assume that there is a Finnish bug forum that mentions me frequently. If you know anything about it, I would love to hear the story. Thanks in advance.
Millipedes certainly seem to be the 'in thing'. I have now sold out of Giant Train millipedes but they are top of my shopping list for the show this weekend. I have plenty of other species and in large enough numbers that I really hope to breed some. The Ghana Fire Red millipedes are especially beautiful. I am constantly collecting leaf litter and rotten wood to feed them all. I looked a total twit the other day as I collected rotten leaves, and bramble for the stick insects. It was pouring with rain and yet again the bag was so heavy and awkward that I had to keep stopping. The only people around were dog walkers, the things we do for our animals!
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