You'd think no one would want house guests who spend all their time eating, lounging around in a pool of water and are very slow to move on.

But Audrey Bennett has enjoyed the visitors she's entertained off and on since the start of September, an assorted group of painted turtles from the Souris Valley grounds.

Bennett, a member of the Weyburn Nature Society, has been bringing home several baby turtles she found in a pair of nests at Souris Valley since the start of the month.

Bennett said she believes they are painted turtles, based on a description she found on the Internet of the bright red pattern located on their stomachs.

Painted turtles are among the most common of all turtles in North America, and are found in most climates, though preferring to live by water.

She first found the nests way back on June 18, during a walk with the Weyburn Nature Society. The group came across two mother turtles digging their nests, which Bennett said are shaped like a "flask" - a small hole expanding into a wide space under the dirt.

The group monitored the situation for some time before discovering the eggs don't hatch for more than two months - roughly 76 days, according to information Bennett found.

Calculating the eggs would hatch around Sept. 1, she took her son and his family out there to check out the nest.

"My son just poked around the hole and there they were. They were out of their shells and ready to go," she said.

Because the nests were on a pathway used frequently by hikers and mowers, they took several out of the nest and put them in a nearby creek. She kept one, but decided to let it go later.

On a second trip back, she found even more new baby turtles, including some others that were swimming through the mud. She took four home, though one has since escaped while resting on her deck. She released the rest last week.

Based on her research, Bennett said the turtles can lay anywhere from two to 20 eggs, so there could be more out there.