Rodents!

As some of you know I have recently - since July - been battling with something entering the shop and eating my Chyrsanthemum! Having had a rat run across my foot, jump up from behind the bin at my desk, and run across the desk as I was sitting there, I naturally assumed it was down to him (or her) who I named 'Randolph'. 

A quick google soon put me straight, as (apparently, according to the powers of AI and Mr Google) Chrysanthemum are supposed to be poisonous to the ratty rodents. How true this is I do no know, but I found it on the internet! 😂🤣

What I couldn't understand the first time I realised, and haven't been able to understand ever since, is how it is managing to climb to the top of the flower stems, eat the heads - only ever open ones, it will leave me the buds (so kind) - yet it never breaks a stem, it leaves no petals behind, and there is not a dropping to be seen anywhere. Anyone who has ever had the misfortune in having to deal with rats/mice will know that they always, always leave behind a pile of droppings. They tend to poop where they eat. There is nothing. Not a sign that anything has been anywhere near. 

It's not been a regular event. A few times each month, however, in the past week (since Thursday of last week) it's pretty much happened every day. 

At home I have some wildlife trail cameras; we get lots of wildlife in and I love checking in the morning to see which foxes have put in an appearance, whether a hedgehog may have appeared and also to see how many birds - mainly pigeons - sneak in during the day. Using my one brain cell I figured if I was to bring one up to work with me I had more control about which areas can be covered - the shops fixed cameras aren't really set up for creatures of the tiny variety - so I grabbed mine from the garde, wiped off the slugs crawling all over it, and brought it up to the shop. The camera was placed in position, a vase full of yellow Chrysants was placed within sight of the camera, and all was good-to-go. 

First night I left it there was Wednesday. I was excited to check the footage when I arrived Thursday morning. That excitement turned to a bit of frustration and a lot of disappointment when nothing was picked up. Nothing else was touched in the shop so I guess it found a food source elsewhere - can't help but wonder it if has fish one night, burger the next, a few fries and kebabs, then heads into me using my flowers as dessert! 

I set it up in the same place again last night, this time adding a little raised area to make it easier for whatever it is to get closer to the flowers without having to struggle, or stretch - I know, most people would put down a poison or trap and I give them steps to safe platforms!I can't help it, I just don't like killing things (well, animals, insects etc... not entirely convinced when it comes to humans!).

Excited that I may have finally found out what is eating me out of the very small profit I make to begin with -if I actually make any - I found myself disappointed to see the flowers had been untouched and nothing had triggered the camera. "Not to worry" I told myself "there's always tomorrow". With that I set about my morning routine. 

Just after 08:00 I realised that the sneaky little **** had ignored my easy-to-reach vase with the little steps and had instead found its way among the flower stand where I had left one remaining vase and it had nobbled the lot. I won't lie to you, the language which came out of my mouth was so colourful even Vlad tucked himself further back into his corner and refused to look at me. It had also happily munched its way through another vase I had left in the shop that I (thankfully wasn't intending to sell) but I assumed it wouldn't want as the flowers were dyed. Oh the irony of it eating dyed ones! 

Tonight I will try again...   it will not beat me...