Slugs in Malta

     

     Slugs on a Floor; Slugs in the Toilet

Malta has some beautiful things.  And then it has…the above.

Slugs.  They come in when there’s been a lot of rain.  They squeeze themselves through cracks in the door to the yard.  And the big ones are about the size of the one in the photo above.

One evening I came down to find about five squirming into my cat’s food bowl. They move by secreting this yuck—this slime.  I was by myself (except for my cat watching me—even she won’t go near them) and I had to pick up each slippery one with a paper towel and throw it in the toilet in the small bathroom downstairs.  I was screaming but no one could hear me.

Then guess what happened. Right--the toilet wouldn’t flush.  Of course, at one point I had to pick up the toilet lid and look in.  And one was crawling out (just like in monster movies).

I dropped the lid back down and ran out of the bathroom. But I was scared to go upstairs because I was afraid they would come out of the toilet and look for me.

Here’s the worst experience I had.  Egypt, my cat, is a Persian and always gets her fur soaking wet when she drinks water from her bowl. One time she came purring on my bed and she was all wet as usual. But there was some knot or something caught in her fur.

So I reached over and started pulling it out. And…I started to gag because this yellow stuff starting oozing out of whatever it was. I thought she had some kind of abscess on her chest. But no, it was…a slug. A slug had gotten caught in her fur on her chest and she was walking around with it.

Only a mother could do this.  I had to pull it out with my fingernails.  And then she still had slime in her fur that wouldn’t come out.

What I’m trying to say is—I’m glad the rainy season—with its slugs--is coming to an end in Malta.  Next, please:  giant cockroaches.

 

Comments

[Sennuwy (an ancient Egyptian name)]

Jessica!  Is that you--Bs Jessica?  Ha Ha!  The slugs in Manhattan are like cute little babies compared to the mother of all cockroaches in Malta.  Ill send you a photo. Thanks for reading xxxx Ilene

[Sennuwy (an ancient Egyptian name)]

Hi Mib, Absolutely true--and those things are BIG--Ilene

[Mib]

unfortunaltely Malta is full of cockroaches in hot season....
And when a tourist dares to complain for cockroaches in his room, the receptionist uses to say "Insects in hot coutries, get used to it" .... O_o

[Jessica Butler]

Ilene I hope for your sake there are no cockroaches in your future! It seems to me that the entire world's population of cockroaches resides in Manhattan- one of the downsides of living in New York. Happy to report that there have been no giant slug sightings though!

[Sennuwy (an ancient Egyptian name)]

Hi B--what a good memory!  But that was a stinking centipede we smelled.  Remember? It smelled like a bad cat poop. Love, Mom

[B]

I remember there was a day when I was visiting when Egypt would not leave one spot in the kitchen, where she could see under a cabinet. We weren't sure why, but we also noticed a strange scent coming from the area. Was that due to a slug?? I seem to have blocked that part out of my memory!

[Sennuwy (an ancient Egyptian name)]

Thanks, Colette. Weve actually started with some kind of pellets in the yard and its helping a bit. I also hear that slug can be killed by beer. But they must be German slugs--Ilene

[Colette]

These slugs can be killed with salt. Maybe you can put salt around your yard doors so they won't come in the house

[Sennuwy (an ancient Egyptian name)]

Thanks for the tale, A. I think Ill skip dinner--which is a first for me xxx  Ilene

[Alexandra Claes]

Ah yes the mutant slugs !

Miss. A and Miss. S : my charming daughters, share a bathroom in our home. One day I mustered up the strength to enter this jungle to collect the mountain of clothes they leave lying in pools of water. Now this is a large bathroom; a very modern and elegant en-suite if you will---well it would be if one could actually get in and out without fearing for their life. But in I went just the same to see how far down the neanderthal time line my daughters had slipped. And there "he" was...

Yes, a massive slug was meandering himself around the bathroom as though he was right at home, and apparently he was. "That's Bert mum !" Here's the thing, Bert lived his life as I do struggling through my daughters mess. He often frequented their sleeping quarters from the confines of the bathroom venturing into "dryer" territory I would think. It was always a new day for Bert, who ever knew where he would be?

But as you may have noticed I talk in past text and yes, even dear old Bert couldn't succumb to life with the twins. I of course discovered him wrapped in between dirty clothes which makes one wonder perhaps he had even gone on outings in the girls back pocket always returning to the relative safety of the bathroom grunge, along with the mushrooms that also grow from the ceiling ?

Can't wait for my next surprise, an anaconda perhaps ?!

R.I.P Bert circa 2010.

P.S : Next time just put some salt on them and watch them explode :)