Sunday, March 26, 2006

Attack of the millipedes

One of the lovely little quirks of living in Perth is the millipede invasion that occurs every winter. I forget where the millipedes come from - it's South Africa or somewhere like that, but somehow they ended up here and they are a pain in the arse if there ever was one.

From the first rains, nowhere is sacred. The small smelly creepy crawlies come in under doors, through gaps in the flyscreen on windows, they gather in large numbers in the bath and are fond of dropping from the ceiling onto unsuspecting victims. Their skins are acidic and if you are unlucky enough to have one crawl into bed with you, you are greeted in the morning with strange half moon burns all over your body.

Perth has had a weird summer this year which has included quiet a bit of unseasonal rain. Such rain occurred earlier this week and out came the millipedes. In droves. Into my house. They're everywhere.

And so, yet again begins the battle between me and the millipedes. I'll hit them with everything I've got; pesticide, tomato dust, my trusty vacuum cleaner. Only God himself knows how this will end.

I'll keep you posted.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

We don't have millipedes on the coast. :(

Nettie said...

Hmph. Lucky duck.

Hieronymous Anonymous said...

Maybe I'll put off moving in with you, Nettie.

*shudders*

Nettie said...

I'd keep you safe Boo! They don't seem to get into the beds, so you can just bunk in with me ;-)

Anonymous said...

Har har har! Fred's cousins march on!

I was just watching a program about life in the Paleozoic era, and they had a two-meter long millipede on it. Imagine waking up with one of those in your bed!

Anonymous said...

Let's imagine not, Acci. ;-)