Skip to main content

So much to do, so little time to do it :)

Again, this blog is very overdue but I have plans! I have had to concede that Ginny’s Jungle is dead and buried and I need to concentrate on my postal business, which is very much alive! (despite the effects of Covid and leaving the EU). I aim to streamline my business because I absolutely have to make more time and get a better home/work balance. We had a lovely, relaxing holiday to Cyprus in July and it gave me time to stop and think. Our daughter had a nightmare looking after everything, she did a great job but the hot weather was a real challenge in the bug room and it wasn’t fair to her.

I keep such a varied collection of bugs but some are far easier to care for than other and let’s be honest, some sell much better than others. I’ve said it before but this time I’m serious, if I want to go away (and I do!) then I need to be keeping animals that can look after themselves for a week. Stick insects, grasshoppers, praying mantis and such like are real favourites of mine but they take far too much time and are less popular than they once were. So – from now on I will be focusing on tarantulas, scorpions, millipedes, cockroaches and other creatures that need weekly, rather than daily care.

I think my bugs have really enjoyed all this hot weather because I have had great success with breeding many of them. I have a large number of arachnids now and I am constantly buying in the more sought-after species of tarantulas. I am not always the cheapest but I certainly find that most people, when choosing a long-term pet like a tarantula, would put quality before price. I spend a great deal of time in my bug room and I take care of everything to the best of my ability.

Unfortunately, my social media skills are sadly lacking (as is my interest if I’m totally honest). I know it is important but I really don’t know what I’m doing when it comes to Facebook and Instagram. I was actually shamed by Siri recently, I had my airpods in and an Instagram notification came through, it was along the lines of “you have lots of people following you but you don’t follow any of them back”. Siri said it in a really sorrowful voice and made me feel quite guilty! Perhaps, one day somebody will help me but for now I can only apologise and if you want me to follow you then you will have to explain it to me.

I could do without these postal strikes. Everyone has been really nice but with the bank holiday as well next week, it looks like I will only be able to post orders on Thursday. I couldn’t post orders yesterday because of the strike today. I just hope the two sides can come to an agreement and call off the strikes asap.

Lastly, I would really like to encourage visitors, it would be fun to have open afternoons again and perhaps the odd arachnid evening. It is great to see them come to life and leave their burrows after dark. If you might be interested then let me know.

So that’s all my news (well probably not but I need to move on to spider feeding). I will try to do better and not leave it too long to write my blog next time.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A surreal week indeed!

A surreal week indeed! I sent off my last orders on Monday and the remainder of my bugs will be leaving me on Friday. So many people are congratulating me on my retirement but I prefer the good luck messages. I didn’t think I would ever retire but it all became too much, not just for me but my family too. Our home was taken over by my work. The bug room was my domain but the rest of the house had gradually filled up with ‘stuff’, plastic boxes, cardboard boxes, tanks etc. and I never ever had any time. Whatever task I was doing, I was always thinking of the next job on the list. People keep asking what I am going to do with my time now. In the short term I will be clearing everything out, especially the loft which is full to the brim. I’m a bit of a hoarder so that really doesn’t help 😄 Lack of time was indeed the main factor for finishing my business but there was also the constant “I only want a female tarantula” 😤, leaving Europe was a big blow, Covid, the animal welfare licensin...
3 comments
Read more

My biggest announcement ever!

My biggest announcement ever! It is with a heavy heart that I am informing everyone of my impending retirement as “The Bug Lady”. I have been running my business for approximately 45 years so it has been pretty good J Things change over the years, I was one of the only bug dealers in the early days and possibly the only woman but these days, every man and his dog is selling tarantulas and “proper bugs” seem to have fallen out of favour. I have been cutting down on stock for some time and had hoped to keep going without the tarantulas but it hasn’t worked out. I expect to fully retire by the end of this year but a lot depends on my wonderful customers (you!) as I need to sell off a large number of little creatures. I still have 24 species of tarantula (multiple numbers of most), millipedes, cockroaches, isopods, scorpions, slugs etc. Do take a look on my website, once they are gone, they are gone! If you want to help me, please spread the word to all your bug mad friends. I have lots of...
7 comments
Read more

Getting there!

Getting there! My plans for retirement are going pretty well, I cannot believe all the wonderful messages that I have received over the last few weeks, many of them have had me in tears. It is very emotional to give up my little friends after a lifetime of keeping them and my human friends too but the time is right so I will keep plodding on until everything has gone. I won’t be changing my phone number and I hope to keep my email address, therefore, those who want to, can stay in touch. I had planned for a big sale on September 1st but orders are still going strong so an all-out clearance sale doesn’t sound such a great idea. I have decided instead to reduce items individually but I do keep changing my mind J It is really difficult to retire over a period of time, I couldn’t make the decision and then stop, like most people are able to. I can’t set a date in the future because I simply don’t know when sales will dry up. The idea of an open day sadly became unworkable, I just don’t hav...
1 comment
Read more