Living with nature: from ants to Mediterranean mice

Living in Spain sounds idyllic. The sun, the view, the lavender in your garden. And the idea of living with nature? Very romantic. But no one tells you that sometimes, the garden moves inside. On tiny feet.

My first Spanish spring was glorious—until one morning I lifted the sugar bowl and discovered it had been relocated. Not physically, but in terms of occupancy. An ant colony had organised itself so efficiently, I almost felt guilty for not charging rent. And that was just the beginning.

From peace to pest mode in under a second

At night, you dream of starlit skies and silence. In reality, you hear:
1: mosquitoes in stereo
2: a scratching sound that’s either a lizard or a mouse (or both)
3: and a beetle (not a Beatle!) throwing itself against the ceiling like it’s auditioning for a flamenco show;

In short: welcome to real life with nature.

Don’t fight it. Understand it.

What I’ve learned is this: you don’t live opposite nature here—you live inside it. An ant doesn’t show up because it’s cheeky. It shows up because you left breadcrumbs. A mouse isn’t a pest. It’s a guest who smelled an open invitation.

I try to understand first. React second. Natural remedies often work just fine: vinegar for ants, aromatic herbs for mosquitoes, lavender and bay leaves for anything with whiskers. And as a last resort: cats. Literal or metaphorical.

My Mediterranean mouse moment

The first time I saw a mouse in the kitchen, I nearly fell off my barstool. Not from fear—from sheer surprise.
He was beautiful. Dark grey, small, skittish, but with the gaze of a tiny intellectual. He looked at me like he’d been studying me for days. Then disappeared behind the fridge. I named him José.

José stuck around for three weeks. Then he vanished. Or moved house. No idea. Since then, I’ve made sure every bit of food lives in a jar, the bin goes out promptly, and any open window has a proper screen.

“Spain isn’t just a place. It’s an ecosystem. You live here with birds, spiders, salamanders—and yes, the occasional José. Get to know them. That way, you’re not just living outdoors, you’re living with the outdoors.”

Tips for living with nature – without running screaming from your house

1. Don’t leave food lying around. Not a single crumb. No fruit bowl without a lid.

2. Seal up the gaps. Mice don’t have a schedule, but they do have instincts.

3. Use scent. Ants and mosquitoes aren’t fans of mint, lavender, lemon, or cloves.

4. Let the air in, not the wildlife. Open windows? Only with a screen.

5. Learn to look without panicking. A beetle isn’t a tiger. And an ant is not a crisis.

6. Be kind. Nature was here first. You’re the newcomer.