Number 8. A buzz of Bumble Bees

Well all that hopping up and down by the Meerkats with the fleas attracted a buzz of Bumble Bees and pretty angry they looked.



But the Meerkats calmed down as soon as they spotted the bees, obviously had come across bees before!! and no harm came to them.

The pattern is Martha Ess's Itty Bitty Bumble Bee from her New Critters On The Block book.

The Bumble bees were tatted in Flora 10 and in 20 for the little one and the wings are made with Coates Ophir in light gold. the big one measures about 1.5 inches from the sting in his tail to tip of his antennae and the smaller one is 1 inch long.

Number 7. Fleas!!

Well it had to happen!!
Just come back from a holiday in England and what do I find on my return but the Meerkat family hopping up and down and scratching themselves silly!!!

On close examination they have got fleas!
It was a devil of a job to catch them but I managed to pin down a couple for closer inspection.



Well it turns out that they are a new species of flea Pulex eboralli going by the common name of Freddie the Fantastic Flea. hmmm I'll give her fantastic!!

I do remember Jane and Sue went to Palmettos one year loaded with the little beggars and soon had spread them to all the tatters who were highly amused.

That's all very well, but when you are tatting a wildlife park the last thing you want is an internet infestation of fleas. Be warned all you animal tatters if you click on the above link these tiny little critters are worse than internet viruses.

Has anybody tatted anything that eats fleas??????? I have a few ideas but any help would be welcome.