I have had some interesting conversations this week, about pesky things in Malawi. These started out mainly due to my fear of Ronnie the Rat. Rat sightings are quite common here, apparently it is normal to see one in your house about twice a week.
I asked about termites, because there have been interesting, wood pulpy trails appearing in our accommodation. The guard I was talking to helpfully went and found a bit of termite hill, and put it near my feet. The termites came out to play a bit too close to my toes (which were exposed in flip flops) for comfort. 'Do they bite' I asked rather nervously.
'Oh yes, nasty bite' said the guard.
I shuffled my feet back a bit.
A few days previously I had had a chat with a colleague about snakes. Had he seen any? Turns out hehad been sitting in church the week before, and one had dropped off the ceiling into his lap. He hadn't particularly enjoyed the sermon he said, with a wry smile. Warming to his theme, he then told me about once walking through a door, and how something caught his eye and made him look back. It was a python writhing around the frame.
This came back to me as the termites were enjoying their frolic.
'What about snakes?' I asked the guard (I still haven't learned, even after all these years TO NOT ASK QUESTIONS YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE ANSWERS FOR.
'Oh yes' said the guard.
Turns out the gardener found A BLACK MAMBA IN THE VEGETABLE PATCH last week.
I HAVE BEEN PICKING VEGETABLES THERE IN MY FLIP FLOPS I thought, slightly panicked. My next thought was THAT'S ABOUT SIX FOOT AWAY FROM OUR BEDROOM WINDOW.
The only positive thing I could think about the black mamba was that it would probably finish Ronnie off at some point.
I just hope it gets Ronnie before it gets me........
I asked about termites, because there have been interesting, wood pulpy trails appearing in our accommodation. The guard I was talking to helpfully went and found a bit of termite hill, and put it near my feet. The termites came out to play a bit too close to my toes (which were exposed in flip flops) for comfort. 'Do they bite' I asked rather nervously.
'Oh yes, nasty bite' said the guard.
I shuffled my feet back a bit.
A few days previously I had had a chat with a colleague about snakes. Had he seen any? Turns out hehad been sitting in church the week before, and one had dropped off the ceiling into his lap. He hadn't particularly enjoyed the sermon he said, with a wry smile. Warming to his theme, he then told me about once walking through a door, and how something caught his eye and made him look back. It was a python writhing around the frame.
This came back to me as the termites were enjoying their frolic.
'What about snakes?' I asked the guard (I still haven't learned, even after all these years TO NOT ASK QUESTIONS YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE ANSWERS FOR.
'Oh yes' said the guard.
Turns out the gardener found A BLACK MAMBA IN THE VEGETABLE PATCH last week.
I HAVE BEEN PICKING VEGETABLES THERE IN MY FLIP FLOPS I thought, slightly panicked. My next thought was THAT'S ABOUT SIX FOOT AWAY FROM OUR BEDROOM WINDOW.
The only positive thing I could think about the black mamba was that it would probably finish Ronnie off at some point.
I just hope it gets Ronnie before it gets me........
1 comment:
Ugh. It sounds like you stayed in a neighborhood surrounded by these pesky things. I hope you didn’t encounter anything worse than termites and rats. Snakes would be too much. As much as living nearby wilderness sounds like an adventure, I guess the lifestyle it comes with isn’t for everyone. Good luck!
Debra Owen @ Invader Pest
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