a warning

This weekend we discovered an invasion of these in the attic bedroom... eating away at the carpet and the clothes and laying zillions of tiny little eggs in every hidden place.

I had spotted one or two flying away when I picked up bedding or things from the floor recently, but it didn't dawn on me what they were other than a bit of a nuisance.

Well. Yesterday was spent vacuuming every last inch of carpet, removing and washing every piece of clothing or fabric from the room and chucking some of it out of the window as it was too far gone and too eggy to take downstairs through the house. This was followed by the reluctant spraying of expensive foul smelling stuff and this was almost immediately followed by the glum realisation that a new carpet would have to be bought.

People! Check your wardrobes! Check the furthest corners of your carpets! Do not ignore one single solitary silver-winged fluttering! Take action now, I implore you. Otherwise, clothes moths will take over your life. Mark my words.

On a pleasanter but still domestic topic (this post is entirely housewifey and old-wivey today) this week is going to be all about TEAS. Next weekend my best friend is opening her garden for charity and we have - perhaps foolishly - offered to organise and serve tea and cakes to the ravening hoards. So, there are a hundred and one cakes to be made, the tea urn to be retrieved from the cellar and dusted down, tea cups to be counted, signs to make and tablecloths to be found and washed. Lots of fun to counteract the horrid mothy business.

Now for some weather news. I hope you are all sharing some of the hot sunny weather we are enjoying at the moment. The weather forecasters are telling us there is more to come this summer, and in an exclusive revelation, I can confirm that they are right! When I was little I learnt this country rhyme:

Oak before Ash, in for a splash
Ash before Oak, in for a soak.


Well in the course of my travels and excursions over the last month I am able to report that the Oak has definitely beaten the Ash this year. Most of the oak trees are already in full leaf and displaying their catkins, while the Ash trees are still struggling to free their spiky fingers from the buds. So, no soaking this year hopefully, but lots more of this lovely sun. Let's see if the trees are right.

12 comments:

Hollace said...

I wish I could be at the tea. I love teas. And I hate bug infestations!!

Lorenza said...

oh dear... I am worried now... I may have spotted one or two in my wardrobe (!!) I will be spending my evening cleaning tonight just to be sure. Thanks for the warning!!

Good luck with the tea arrangments, sounds like it will be a wonderful day! Especially if this weather continues! I spend all day yesterday at our allotment and it was bliss :)

Wish you a lovely week!

Sarah said...

Thank you for the weather report! I can confirm that the oak was most definitely out before the ash here in Birmingham, so we're in for a decent summer...

Hope you beat those pesky visitors, and enjoy your tea preparations.

Gilly said...

Hadn't realised your infestation was so bad!! I am so sorry! I will be sure to examine all wardrobes and carpets minutely!

Our ashes in the park have scarcely managed to sturggle out yet, either. Definitely a good summer coming!

Gretel said...

Ooh, that's so interesting, and the oaks here are all out, while the ash which lives in our wall is still hard budded. I will go and tell the tomatoes.
I need to sort our moths out too, I fear a big clean up is in order, little b*****s.

Frances said...

Very, very sorry to hear about the moths, but glad that you did discover them.

The upcoming garden tea party sounds like lots of fun. In the sun, I do hope! xo

Sea Angels said...

Yes you are right....this year the Oak came out weeks before the Ash, there are lots of them where I go running...lets just keep our fingers crossed.
Lynn xx

Lyn said...

Oh I do hope you are right!
I love the idea of the Tea and cakes at the Garden event-I would love that, give us a shout if you need a hand!
Love
Lyn
xxx

Sue said...

Thank you all for your nice comments and sorry to those I couldn't reply to individually :-)

Gosh Frances what a thought... if we hadn't found them... I learnt today that the females lay 140 eggs every cycle... it doesn't bear thinking about.

Jackie said...

EEUUWW! But what can you do? Nature will out.
Thank you for the weather forecast. I am doing a garden event in tow weekends. You might like it, near Samlesbury Hall in a private garden.
when's yours. I see Lorenza has commented ..you are nearly neighbours.

Pipany said...

Grief, I am off to check the moth situation! How grim. I had heard of this, but thought it was a tad over-exaggerated - obviously not, eh? Hope the lovely weather continues x

A time to dance said...

Oh how awful...my grandmother used to fill her draws with moth balls and we always laughed because all our christmas and birthday presents smelt of them..are you covered by insurance? hope you have a lovely weekend to make up for it...