But don't shoot through your tent! my dad last week was happily popping away at rabbits on his field, came in the caravan pulled the wrong catch or whatever (I'm not into guns) and shot a hole through the bed and straight out of the side of the van - I think its definately time for him to give up the guns!!!
Sorry for my totally useless answer but I'm bored I think I need to get some sleep!!!
We havent encountered squirrels yet either but did have ducks/ducklings pecking away at our tent!
Sig saved the day in that case tho because our friends opposite had a visit from a hare the same night and it left them a few nice droppings in their tent!
I found a very large slug had half eaten a peach from a punnet that was in the food box. Being the peaceful sort i liffted the peach out with slug and then placed in the undergrowth some distance from the tent. I figured the other peaches would be fine as the eaten one was on top and besides a bit of slime never hurt any one.
Next morning would you believe it same slug ( i know it was because it had a disfigurement) was eating anouther peach, cheeky thing, luckily we were going home that day.
The slug i moved again to the same place, bet it was gutted that night to find that my tent and the peaches had gone.
I found a very large slug had half eaten a peach from a punnet that was in the food box. Being the peaceful sort i liffted the peach out with slug and then placed in the undergrowth some distance from the tent. I figured the other peaches would be fine as the eaten one was on top and besides a bit of slime never hurt any one.
Next morning would you believe it same slug ( i know it was because it had a disfigurement) was eating anouther peach, cheeky thing, luckily we were going home that day.
The slug i moved again to the same place, bet it was gutted that night to find that my tent and the peaches had gone.
You know me too well, i did feel so guilty about the poor dissapointed slug i was tempted to leave one but it hadn't eaten the fist and didn't want it to be sick
wasn't taken as criticism just though it would be an ideal chance to preach my camping gospel. After all we are all uninvited guets in their home.
use a plastic box with lid or lock food in your car, don't forget any rubbish as well!!
Last year we went to a site in West Sussex, were woken at about 3am, looked out of tent and there were 4 foxes raiding everywhere! Any one that hadn't secured their food would have been very dissapointed in the morning. We felt quite smug knowing our food was in the car!
We also went to a site in Dover where we had a visit from a hedgehog 4 nights in a row. First two nights it just shuffled around a bit and made a bit of noise, 3rd night however was different. He obviously felt safe and at home in our tent, he was sniffing at everything and left us a couple of deposits, which smelled disgusting. Had to give the ground sheet a good scrub but it smelt for days, yuk.The next night as soon as we heard him we tried to get rid of him as nicely as possible, he didn't want to go though and in the end I had to use a shoe to gently 'roll' him out of the tent ( and across to the other side of the field!!), He never came back!
Quote: Originally posted by peety on 26/7/2006
no, just don't believe that we should play god and kill creatures just because they are there or annoying me.
why do we have the right to decide what lives or dies
Like your sentiments there Peety . I must admit that one thing I do kill is ants (food hygene reasons), but everything else gets gently lifted and carried out, or in the case of large spiders, I put a glass over them & slide a piece of card across the top of the glass & give them their freedom outside
I'm terrified of daddy-long-legs, but I prefer the person who rescues me to put the creature outside rather than kill it.
I don't really want them sharing my tent or my home, but I also don't feel that I have a right to kill them.
on one trip we had mice actually chewing through the inner tent (no doupt attracted by wifes inumerable chock wrappers),we cleared out the wrappers but the fiends came back that night and chewed a bit more
we declared war and headed for the shops ,not finding a real irin mongers we spotted a trio of "super power" mouse traps in a pound shop,they were of a clamshell design and looked perfect ,we set up all 3 that night. beware they are not mouse traps but mouse hats
we heard scraping and investigated and was surprised to see a mouse wearing this mouse "hat" heading backwards for cover,the dam springs couldn't break wind nevermind a mouses neck so we manualy did so .
the next day a real "little nipper" was found which stopped the tent munching very fast
Quote: Originally posted by peety on 26/7/2006 no, just don't believe that we should play god and kill creatures just because they are there or annoying me.
why do we have the right to decide what lives or dies
Like your sentiments there Peety . I must admit that one thing I do kill is ants (food hygene reasons), but everything else gets gently lifted and carried out, or in the case of large spiders, I put a glass over them & slide a piece of card across the top of the glass & give them their freedom outside
I'm terrified of daddy-long-legs, but I prefer the person who rescues me to put the creature outside rather than kill it.
I don't really want them sharing my tent or my home, but I also don't feel that I have a right to kill them.
if they inhabit the millions of square miles outside the tent their ok by me! come inside my "house" uninvited and they die.we have the right to kill them because were stronger just as lions do to us if we get in their way.
killing "insects" in the long run will have no effect however we do it in the long term they will still be on earth long after we have become extinct