Keeping the pests away
"Even the most committed animal lover might be hard-pressed to welcome our flying friends to the feast – but if you are eating outside, a certain insect presence is inevitable; to be fair to them, it’s where they live." Felicity Cloake
It's very hot today - almost 40 degrees - well it's supposed to be but I don't think it's quite that hot. Anyway the last couple of days it has been summery and we have been eating outside in the evening. Though it might be just too hot tonight. We love to do that. It makes me feel like I'm on holiday and somehow the meals are more relaxing. David is not quite so quick at leaping up to do the washing up. Simulataneously I scanned the above very small picture (which is why it's fuzzy I'm afraid) from my lovely Art Deco diary. I've been looking for an opportunity to use it and since we have been eating outside a bit again I think the time has come to use it.
I remember that before we came to Australia, but were in the emigration process, an Australian fellow-worker of David's was telling us about what we now know as the Australian wave (constantly waving flies away from the face) and the problems of eating outside. Enormous numbers of flies. I know they do have flies in England but not as many as here. Well - I don't actually think we have quite as many these days. Apparently part of the problem with Australia was that there were no dung beetles to take away all the dung left by the vast herds of cattle and sheep that inhabit our sun blessed country. I believe they eventually imported some and gradually over the years the fly problem has diminished.
Well not quite - I have been looking it up a bit and to a certain extent what I said is true, but not quite. Apparently dung beetles can be pretty specialised. There were some native dung beetles here but they couldn't cope with cattle pooh. Since the sixties the CSIRO has been importing various different species of dung beetles with greater and lesser success, and, indeed, continue to do so. Most of the effort though has been concentrated in Queensland, the Northern Territory and WA. I found that they are now working of SA and NSW but there was no mention of Victoria or Tasmania. Anyway whatever has been going on I reckon that there are fewer flies around than when we first came here. Although a couple of years ago we did get driven inside by flies. And today if you go into the cooler spots like into the old carport or just outside the back door there are lots and lots of flies. Maybe they don't like the heat either.
In England the bigger problem is wasps - which we now have here. The Australians can get quite hysterical about them, and they are not nice I know. I have been stung by one once, but it wasn't nearly as bad as being bitten by a bull ant, which has happened to me rather more - and which is probably a hazard for a picnic in Australia - you need to research your spot carefully before sitting down. A bull ant's bit is vicious.
I know that if you have a nest of wasps you should get rid of it. In fact I sometimes think we may have one in the roof somewhere. We try to keep an eye on them and so far they have not been too much of a problem. Felicity Cloake has some amusing advice:
"The best way of deterring wasps and bees is thought to be to trap the first inquisitive scout before it returns to the nest weighed down with ketchup and alerts 250 of its nearest and dearest to the free buffet going on in your back garden."
Which is sort of true. I vaguely remember my mother finding a nest of wasps in the garden. Not sure how we got rid of that. Bees don't seem to be a problem.
For us here in Australia though, I think a bigger problem is mosquitoes. We do have mosquitoes and they are a pain and they do sometimes drive me inside. Not that the mozzies we have here are likely to cause you major problems other than itchy bites. Unless you are allergic, or unless you have the huge misfortune (like a friend) to be bitten by a mozzie carrying a rare flesh-eating bacteria. Now that is horrendous. And I confess that when I have been bitten by mozzies it's because I have not protected myself. Because you can protect yourself and the food you are eating.
The Australians' first line of defence is, of course, Aeroguard. There are other products that do the same thing but this is the most well-known. It's an Australian icon. And yes it does work. In the past I have mostly not used it because I didn't like the smell but I think they now have odourless varieties so I should try again. And it doesn't have to be a spray you can get creams and roll-ons as well.
With respect to mozzies there are other, more natural things you can do.
"Avoid setting up camp close to ponds or the standing water beloved of mozzies and midges; instead, embrace the fresh air of a breezy hilltop – most flying insects hate both wind and smoke, which is a great excuse for a barbecue or a campfire." Felicity Cloake
Of course if your home is not on a hilltop then that advice is no good if you want to eat dinner outside. The water is a good one though. We have a pond near where we dine outside. But it does have a little waterfall thing so we need to make sure it's on when we are outside. And make sure there are no little pools of water here and there.
Then there are candles - citronella ones. These also work but you need several and I'm always worried about them being kicked over and starting a fire or burning someone. Or planting - there are lots of mosquito repellent plants you can plant. I saw one article that suggested that catnip was better than even the chemical deterrents. Must try it. I think it's pretty weedlike.
As to flies - well the most interesting suggestion I have ever seen was to sacrifice a tin of sardines. Open a tin and place it somewhere away from where you are eating but not hugely distant. I guess it doesn't have to be sardines. Not sure what flies like best. It's sort of encouraging them though isn't it? There are also fly traps which you get from Bunnings. I think these may have honey or something similar in them. Very, very effective, but absolutely nauseating to dispose of the flies that are trapped in there in their thousands.
And then there are lights. Insects love lights. So if you are eating outside put on lots of lights. Flies seem to go to sleep at night too.
And what about your food? Well I have two good products from Aldi - bell shaped, rigid and round covers that fit over plates, and a couple of pieces of netting that are weighted at the edges and that can be thrown over an entire table. Good for a buffet I guess, but not much good for the food you are actually eating. The one in the picture is not the Aldi one which is a bit bigger, but it's similar.
I didn't mention the birds did I? The picture was taken on holiday in New Zealand. We stopped for a scratch lunch beside a lake and suddenly we were very assiduously being watched by black swans. Which was mildly alarming, although they did not in fact do anything other than come really close. In our garden we have occasional visits from a very friendly kookaburra who gets hand fed, and who has been known to actually snatch food from your hand whilst you are eating. Seagulls, rosellas up in the Dandenongs oh and the lamas and goats in children's zoos. Though I think that is not such a problem these days. Not sure what you can do about all of them. Just be wary I guess. And don't add to the problem by feeding them.
I'm not going to talk about ants - they are not usually a problem when you are eating at a table at home, but for a picnic they are certainly a problem.
Then there's the sand if you are eating on the beach. But that's not pests. That's just Mother Nature. In England you are more likely to meet Mother Nature weather hazards like rain - for picnics anyway. But they are a hardy race!
