Virginia Cheeseman

Virginia Cheeseman Now retired (October 2025), I was the original 'Bug Lady', breeding and supplying many types of creepy crawly pets for over 40 years. (my USP? I do not lie!)

I am the original 'Bug Lady', breeding and supplying many types of creepy crawly pets. My little home business has now been going for over 30 years, in the last couple of years I have found myself being called the ‘Spider Lady’ more often than not. Trends are continually changing and arachnids are far more popular than they have ever been before. I have a bug room at the side of our house that is

dedicated to keeping a multitude of creatures. Since moving out of London in 2003, my work is mainly postal but I do welcome visitors by appointment. It took me some time to actually reach the 21st century and see the potential of customers ordering online. I am now fully convinced, business has increased tremendously since setting up my first online store in 2009. In October 2012 my current online store went live, the photographs are larger and clearer, the information is more comprehensive and the online ordering is simpler and therefore easier to use. I am still readily accessible by email and telephone and I strive to maintain my position as the most friendly and reliable bug supplier!

I just made it yesterday, with my August blog post. For those who want to read it: www.virginiacheeseman.co.uk Here are ...
01/09/2026

I just made it yesterday, with my August blog post. For those who want to read it: www.virginiacheeseman.co.uk

Here are a few pictures from my garden. Autumn is coming but next year I’m going more ‘drought resistant’ (it will probably be a wet summer😅). Some plants have done really well, my cacti, my Agave (soon to be covered up for the colder months) and these beautiful autumn crocus appeared just a couple of days ago. However many of my plants (especially annuals) didn’t like the weather at all and what a job it has been watering every day.

The experiment is over 😂 I still feel that leeches could be useful for improving blood flow to a scarred area but - I di...
28/08/2026

The experiment is over 😂 I still feel that leeches could be useful for improving blood flow to a scarred area but - I didn’t realise that they stayed on for so long, it hurts and worst of all I have some raised marks from feeding them which I really don’t want to call scars 🤣🤣

As you can see from the pictures, I will soon have baby leeches and I don’t want to end up looking like a pin cushion so they have got to go.

We went up to Hull to visit relatives at the weekend and on the way home we stopped off to meet up with Tim Baxter, Mr S...
10/08/2026

We went up to Hull to visit relatives at the weekend and on the way home we stopped off to meet up with Tim Baxter, Mr Scorpion man himself. He showed me around his super collection. It was a really brilliant morning, great fun. Tim’s animals are so well cared for and his facility is super clean and organised. He offered me one of his gorgeous baby Banded scorpions, my husband was saying “no she doesn’t want it” but of course I did 🥰 (it would have been rude to refuse 😂)

I cleaned and fed my little creatures today, well I couldn’t give them all up could I 🤷‍♀️

25/07/2026

Please make sure that you put out a bowl or two of water in your garden. The wildlife really need it! It’s not often that I long for rain but we do need some soon 🤞

My July blog post is now online (for those who want to read it 😁) www.virginiacheeseman.co.uk

A few throwback photos from days gone by 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🤞🤞🤞
15/07/2026

A few throwback photos from days gone by 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🤞🤞🤞

Lots of big and beautiful dragonflies emerging from one of my garden ponds. There are four (that I can see) moulted skin...
12/07/2026

Lots of big and beautiful dragonflies emerging from one of my garden ponds. There are four (that I can see) moulted skins in the first picture. I’m not sure of the species, possibly Emperor? I fished one out of the pond as it had fallen in but sadly it didn’t make it 😔

Really hoping for some rain, I’m fed up with watering my wildlife garden. Thankfully we don’t have a hosepipe ban here yet. I do love the sunshine though 🥰

Lovely Lepidoptera in my garden 💜So many Painted Ladies this year, Buddleia bushes are the best, I have seen Painted Lad...
29/06/2026

Lovely Lepidoptera in my garden 💜

So many Painted Ladies this year, Buddleia bushes are the best, I have seen Painted Lady, Peacock, Red Admiral, Comma and Cabbage White on this bush in my front garden, just this morning 😄

The Vapour moth caterpillars were rescued from my neighbour, he was complaining that they were eating his raspberry plants so I have now put them on mine instead. He told me that they were ugly brown caterpillars, what!😲

I’ve decided it’s Buddleia bushes and cacti for my garden next year, the slugs don’t seem to touch either. I’m fed up with watering and slug collecting 😂

For those who are interested 😊 My June blog is now available www.virginiacheeseman.co.uk So, I tried the leech approach ...
20/06/2026

For those who are interested 😊 My June blog is now available www.virginiacheeseman.co.uk

So, I tried the leech approach to softening an old scar and you can read what happened 😂

Honestly, this is ridiculous! No joking now, I went out in my back garden the other evening and there were giant slugs e...
13/06/2026

Honestly, this is ridiculous! No joking now, I went out in my back garden the other evening and there were giant slugs everywhere, I actually filled this bucket up. They have eaten almost all the plants that I lovingly grew in my greenhouse 😡

I left the humongous Leopard slugs as I thought they ate other slugs but having read up on them, I reckon they are just as bad for my poor garden.

The only good thing about this mammoth slug hunt is that I found another beautiful male Stag beetle 🥰

If I see baby hedgehogs on my night time wildlife camera, it will all be worth it.

Great excitement yesterday afternoon 😁The amazing caterpillar that I found on our drive in October, had finally hatched ...
09/06/2026

Great excitement yesterday afternoon 😁

The amazing caterpillar that I found on our drive in October, had finally hatched into the most perfect moth. I read up on Convolvulous hawk moths and found that they probably couldn’t survive our winter so I had to take care of her. I put her in the loft to overwinter and checked on her weekly. I didn’t want her to get too dry or too damp and I was worried that she might get too cold so I monitored the temperature. Well, it was worth all the effort when she hatched out in my greenhouse. The only disappointing thing was that Milo missed it 🙁 We checked on her in the morning and then I checked again after I took Milo home. I didn’t want to hold onto her so I put her on a tree in the garden where she was very well camouflaged.

How likely is it that she will find a mate? Not very likely but I did my best.

Address

High Wycombe

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 4pm

Telephone

+447971838724

Website

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