Stormy Weather

[Serial_Apologist]

GLORIOUS heat here in the NW, heat you can really feel, get drunk on... bare-legged in a summer dress, an almost forgotten pleasure...
PLEASE let it continue, never mind the sticky nights or the thunderstorms to come.

Hedgehogs come out in the midday heat to drink at our various bowls and birdbaths, ignoring ducks and pigeons who were there first.
We'd put a pond somewhere but always worry about cats (or hogs) falling in. Slugs multiply rapidly in these temperatures, if you find them all over the remnants in a cat-bowl or other used receptacle, leave them to it - in the morning it will be perfectly clean and dry!

God I love the heat.. think I might stick around till the dawn chorus, then watch the jackdaws' and woodpigeons' first frantic feed on the rear lawn...

Well, apart from the sticky nights, yes. This district is very prone to mosquitoes - which, prone with very minimal night time covering as I am, in turn are very prone to me!

However, I can't ever recall seeing an aerial photo of Britain with not one sign of cloud, anywhere!!!

[marthe]

S_A: "...not one sign of cloud..." is why the R4 weather forecast always said that it would be "cloudy with bright intervals." They were hedging their bets. We still chuckle when we see the weather map on Country File because it's always a "cloudy with bright intervals" situation. I'm still trying to get a handle on the new money temps, though. I've figured out that high 30s is quite warm to blazing hot, zero is freezing, anything else is somewhere in between.

[Serial_Apologist]

S_A: "...not one sign of cloud..." is why the R4 weather forecast always said that it would be "cloudy with bright intervals." They were hedging their bets. We still chuckle when we see the weather map on Country File because it's always a "cloudy with bright intervals" situation. I'm still trying to get a handle on the new money temps, though. I've figured out that high 30s is quite warm to blazing hot, zero is freezing, anything else is somewhere in between.

Depends on what one is used to, marthe.

When I informed my Canadian friend in Toronto that we had had a cold day - nearly cold enough for snow - she replied that such a day would be considered exceptionally mild in her part of the world for January! Similarly when I mentioned it being "really warm" at 25 C (77 F) she said, "that would be cool in summer by our standards".

Think 32 F = 0 C
50 F = 10 C
68 F = 20 C
86 F = 30 C

Or get a piece of graph paper; plot the above co-ordinates, draw a straight line through them, and read off for conversions at any point along the line. Extended at each end, depending upon size of graph paper, you can reach down for Antarctic values, or up for Saudi Arabian!

[Anna]

Or marthe you can convert C to F by either:
Multiply by 9, divide total by 5 then add 32 or
Multiply by 1.8 and add 32
Who wants to mess around with graph paper when you have a calculator? Same temps here as yesterday, 25.9 (78.62) but breezy from East so feeling slightly fresher. An inspection of old apple tree reveals masses of tiny apples forming. I sat outside again yesterday evening, around 10pm, watching the bats swooping, lovely. Mosquitos never bite me S_A but have you tried dabbing yourself with lemon juice?

[Nick Armstrong]

Or marthe you can convert C to F by either:
Multiply by 9, divide total by 5 then add 32 or
Multiply by 1.8 and add 32

Love to see you try that after taking advantage of any Co-Op rioja left in the stores by the rubberneckers

[Serial_Apologist]

Or marthe you can convert C to F by either:
Multiply by 9, divide total by 5 then add 32 or
Multiply by 1.8 and add 32
Who wants to mess around with graph paper when you have a calculator?

Take no notice, marthe; a piece of graph paper takes 2 minutes to mark up in the manner I've suggested; and once done, it takes less time to glance at than fiddling around with a calculator. Anna's just proving to the world that she's much quicker at sums than I am.

Mosquitos never bite me S_A but have you tried dabbing yourself with lemon juice?

Thanks for that tip, Anna, I'll give it a try. You haven't btw got any tips on getting rid of clothes moths, beyond the usual moth balls, have you? This is my second invasion in 3 years - the bathroom carpet has been eaten down to the rubber underlay in 3 places, and I've had to throw out two suits and two pullovers!

[Anna]

You haven't btw got any tips on getting rid of clothes moths, beyond the usual moth balls, have you? This is my second invasion in 3 years - the bathroom carpet has been eaten down to the rubber underlay in 3 places, and I've had to throw out two suits and two pullovers!

Re mosquitos again. They hate the smell of lemon, that's why people burn citronella candles when sitting outside. Also, you could try growing Melissa (lemon balm, really easy and a perennial) and crush the leaves and rub scent round ankles.

Moths - sounds like you've got them bad. You probably need some sort of chemical spray on carpet but as for clothes: Shake them outdoors and hang in sunshine all day (now is ideal weather for that) which will kill them or, put clothes into deep freeze which kills them, defrost, shake outside and hang in sun and also store clean clothes you won't wear for ages (like Winter woollies) in plastic bags, keep suits in zip up bags. Clear out wardrobe, drawers and having done above with clothes put them back with sachets of any or all of these: lavender, rosemary, mint (dry it first) or try mix of cloves and dried orange and lemon peel. At least you'll smell nice and fruity! You can easily make sachets, you just need a small amount of fine muslin, gather it up into pouch and tie - no sewing required.

[Serial_Apologist]

Re mosquitos again. They hate the smell of lemon, that's why people burn citronella candles when sitting outside. Also, you could try growing Melissa (lemon balm, really easy and a perennial) and crush the leaves and rub scent round ankles.

Moths - sounds like you've got them bad. You probably need some sort of chemical spray on carpet but as for clothes: Shake them outdoors and hang in sunshine all day (now is ideal weather for that) which will kill them or, put clothes into deep freeze which kills them, defrost, shake outside and hang in sun and also store clean clothes you won't wear for ages (like Winter woollies) in plastic bags, keep suits in zip up bags. Clear out wardrobe, drawers and having done above with clothes put them back with sachets of any or all of these: lavender, rosemary, mint (dry it first) or try mix of cloves and dried orange and lemon peel. At least you'll smell nice and fruity! You can easily make sachets, you just need a small amount of fine muslin, gather it up into pouch and tie - no sewing required.

Most grateful. Anna. We have lavender, and did have some lemon balm in the garden here last year - must go and check.

[Anna]

Most grateful. Anna. We have lavender, and did have some lemon balm in the garden here last year - must go and check.

S_A, lavender won't be flowering for some time, when you pick include about 3" of the flower stems, (don't pick early morning when dew still on) tie in small bundles, hang upside down to dry in dark place (not in sunshine as the oils will evaporate) airing cupboard ideal. Just thought - if you can grow sweet woodruff it's one of the most effective moth deterrents, smells like new mown hay. Maybe, as you live in London, you might be able to buy bunches of it fresh, but unlikely. I used to (where I lived before) have a herb garden, not just cooking herbs but medicinal and old remedies and I got very interested in the use of herbs as against the use of chemicals for solving everyday problems. I used to grow woodruff and put it between linen to give lovely meadowy smell. You can buy dried lavender of course, but how fresh it may be I don't know nor do I know if it may have been treated with anything.

[Serial_Apologist]

S_A, lavender won't be flowering for some time, when you pick include about 3" of the flower stems, (don't pick early morning when dew still on) tie in small bundles, hang upside down to dry in dark place (not in sunshine as the oils will evaporate) airing cupboard ideal. Just thought - if you can grow sweet woodruff it's one of the most effective moth deterrents, smells like new mown hay. Maybe, as you live in London, you might be able to buy bunches of it fresh, but unlikely. I used to (where I lived before) have a herb garden, not just cooking herbs but medicinal and old remedies and I got very interested in the use of herbs as against the use of chemicals for solving everyday problems. I used to grow woodruff and put it between linen to give lovely meadowy smell. You can buy dried lavender of course, but how fresh it may be I don't know nor do I know if it may have been treated with anything.

Well, the lemon balm must have copped it, but lavender is almost out here! Great tips all, thanks very much, Anna. I'll remember you in my will.

[Nick Armstrong]

? This is my second invasion in 3 years - the bathroom carpet has been eaten down to the rubber underlay in 3 places, and I've had to throw out two suits and two pullovers!

This has been a terrible year for moths. I had an invasion which led over the winter to holes being eaten in the living room carpet

It's not the moths that do that - it's the larvae... You will find slimy silvery traces of eggs, and then the little bugs that do the damage. I have had to spend the earth this spring having 3 treatments throughout the flat from a well-known commercial pest control company, including heat treatment of settees and beds and sprayings of carpets

I still see a few moths though... They die instantly... but I'm not convinced the above palava has resolved the situation 100%

Everyone I talk to in London has had the same problem

[Anna]

This has been a terrible year for moths. I had an invasion which led over the winter to holes being eaten in the living room carpet

It's not the moths that do that - it's the larvae... You will find slimy silvery traces of eggs, and then the little bugs that do the damage. I have had to spend the earth this spring having 3 treatments throughout the flat from a well-known commercial pest control company, including heat treatment of settees and beds and sprayings of carpets

I still see a few moths though... They die instantly... but I'm not convinced the above palava has resolved the situation 100%

Everyone I talk to in London has had the same problem

Blimey O'Reilly! I've never had a moth, ever. Is it that you and S_A live in flats with central heating, so it's a sort of sealed atmosphere which encourages them to breed? I've never heard of moths eating holes in anything except jumpers, demolishing carpets is scary or does London have a new breed of supermoth? Cali, try my herbal remedies.
Also, off topic, item on BBC News, sniffer dogs are sniffing London hotels prior to Olympics for - bed bugs! <shriek>

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I've never had a moth, ever.

Even worse than Pollock.

[Nick Armstrong]

Blimey O'Reilly! I've never had a moth, ever. Is it that you and S_A live in flats with central heating, so it's a sort of sealed atmosphere which encourages them to breed? I've never heard of moths eating holes in anything except jumpers, demolishing carpets is scary or does London have a new breed of supermoth? Cali, try my herbal remedies.

Will do!... I may strew Anna Pouches under the beds and sofas

q.v.:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1393334/Moths-invade-Britains-homes-What-stop-them.html

[Anna]

Will do!... I may strew Anna Pouches under the beds and sofas q.v.:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/ar...stop-them.html

But DM article also cites central heating and closed windows doesn't it? Which, to be honest, is a totally unnatural environment for humans and is the cause of MRSA bugs in hospitals. Go with Florence Nightingale, no heating and fling windows open to the elements, that's the only way to defeat superbugs in hospitals, as it is with pests in the home. Now, consider this. MBers who were born in the 60s or earlier - did you have central heating? No. Did you have moth infestations? No. What has caused moth infestations? Apartments and houses sealed against the elements which are a breeding ground for all sorts of bugs. Simples. Turn off the boiler and open the windows. And strew Anna's remedies where you will, if you must, they won't do any harm.