Monday, May 23, 2011

There's a Cricket in My Toilet Eating Cake*


Well, probably not eating cake. But there must be something enticing about the place, because the little blighter persists in hanging out in there. Night after night. Chirping its head off. It might sound petty to begrudge a tiny insect a home in our toilet. I wouldn't care, but for the fact that the toilet is well within cricket-chirping distance of the spare room, where I flee every now and then when D is snoring, or I am feeling wiggly and restless and know I am annoying him, or I want to read later than he does. Oh, the irony of fleeing a large snorey man and being kept awake by a tiny annoying insect.

We have lived in this house since December 2009 and the cricket infestation has been irritating me ever since. Ever. Since. December. 2009. Each time I have lain in the spare room hurling silent curses toilet-ward I have vowed that I will get up in the morning and Google "how to get rid of crickets." And, at least lately, in the morning the porridge-producing, bottom-wiping, showering and dressing routines begin, and I forget. 

I actually remembered just now because we've been watching a Ricky Gervais show about a bloke travelling in India, and D commented that India is never quiet at night time. And I thought "ah ha! I just remembered where it is never quiet at night time! The toilet! And the spare room!" After a minute or two of silent self congratulation I finally sat down with my Google and discovered:
"In certain Asian cultures, crickets are revered for their amorous love songs. They are kept as pets and housed in intricately designed cages to bring cheer to living quarters."
That was just what I was after, but I nonetheless persisted with said website,** which went on to recommend setting sticky traps which will "soon be transformed into ghastly insect graveyards, which make great gifts."

Such comedy. Nonetheless, it sounds practical enough and it doesn't involve blitzing the smallest room of the house with uber loads of nasty chemicals, so I think I will add "sticky traps" to the shopping list. And given it's only taken, oh, about 17 months to complete the first step, no doubt the resolution of the second step will be just as prompt.

Stay posted.




* With apologies to Hazel Edwards.
** http://www.getridofthings.com/get-rid-of-crickets.htm
Image credit http://wakaaustin.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/crickets20chirpingjpg1.gif?w=273&h=300

8 comments:

Being Me said...

And from the sounds of it, you'll have something to give your inlaws at Christmas time. How strange! They make great gifts?!

p.s. I love that you found a site called "get rid of things.. dot-com" That has tickled my fancy, that has.

Kate said...

Oh that would drive me nutso!! You have my sympathy on the snoring in particular.

Hope your sticky traps work... noisy nights are no fun!

k said...

How nice of you to go to the other room rather than kicking your husband out (like I do).

Red Nomad OZ said...

Haha! Good luck or no, the first person to give me a used cricket trap gift would get more than they bargained for ...

Good luck in your quest!!

Glow said...

A great gift indeed, I expect it under the tree at Christmas time.

Voluptacon said...

Hehehehe,
Ooh! I've always wanted a ghastly insect graveyard as a gift! How thoughtful!

(rewinding from Fibro)

Seana Smith said...

You've got a lot of noisy critters in your house. maybe move the husband out when he snores?? Evidently in our house, it's me who snores. Unlikely, I think, would I be so unladylike?

allison tait said...

We had a cricket take up residence in our living room once. it drove me insane, but only stayed a week or so before The Builder found its little house and relocated it outside. But 18 months? You have more stamina than I do...

Thanks for Rewinding at the Fibro.

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