I have noticed more insects about the place, presumably because of the lovely weather hereabouts. Last night it was the first wasp of summer and at the weekend a great big bumble bee pottered in and out of my living room.
However, the best was saved for today, when I saw not one but two lovely red butterflies. Its ages since I have even seen one, and they brightened my afternoon.
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>> However, the best was saved for today, when I saw not one but two lovely
>> red butterflies. Its ages since I have even seen one, and they brightened my afternoon.
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They taste like chicken, apparently.
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We have seen bees and bumble bees today in the garden, there were a few butterflies as well. In the house we seem to be plagued with woodlice at the moment, although the cat is doing quite an effective job of eating them.
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>> They taste like chicken, apparently.
Less meat on the wings though.
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I think it should be another good year for butterflies.
So far this yeqr I have seen in my garden Brimstones, Orange Tips, Small Tortoiseshell and Peacocks.
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We had a number of those irritating flys in the house a couple of weeks ago which provided some sport whilst they were dispatched. None noticed since. I suppose they were the ones that had been asleep indoors over the winter.
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Killed a few insects with the car this week. I've got a special sponge thing somewhere to get them off. Usually though it's just best to wait for winter and sit behind a gritter for a mile or two. That shifts them.
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Autoglym Active Insect Remover works for me. I don't recommend Brillo pads.
Maybe I should mimse more.
Only joking
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Killed a few insects with the car this week. I've got a special sponge thing somewhere to get them off. Usually though it's just best to wait for winter and sit behind a gritter for a mile or two. That shifts them.
And your paint as well...
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Last year's warm summer and mild winter made a huge difference.
LOTS of queen bumble bees in our garden as well as queen wasps. And in the evenings the number of midges is greater than we have seen for at least a decade..
Great for young birds..
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"Great for young birds.."
Not too many swallows around here yet although there are a few. House Martins seem thin on the ground (or in the air!)
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>>LOTS of queen bumble bees in our garden as well as queen wasps<<
For 'queen wasps' read 'hornets'. Also as in 'damn great wasp'. Believe me.
We have a lot of insects very early here, including wasps, which we don't usually see until August. Also Asian hornets, which are becoming numerous. They are prettier than the usual giant wasp type, but certainly not to be encouraged - I fear they are the reason we haven't yet seen many honey bees. The local council will still pay to destroy their nests. We now sometimes see the odd praying mantis - it must be global warming.
I mentioned elsewhere my little adventure with the grass snake yesterday. This morning at breakfast I killed an insect on the patio table that looked remarkably like a miniature scorpion. That'd be a new one here.
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Erm, it was a joke...
;-)
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No kidding SpongeBob Square Shoes
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Heard a buzzing in my shed and saw a damn great wasp, then noticed the beginnings of a nest stuck to the roof.
Got a jam-jar with a bit of petrol in the bottom, put it over the nest and slid it sideways. Tipped the contents out and put a flame to it.
I don't know what, if any, benefits wasps have. They ain't living in my shed!
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Funnily enough I found a wasps' nest in my shed today too. Nest was only the size of a golf ball. Fascinating bit of construction which i now have here on my desk as I want to show my grandaughter.
You don't of course want wasps in your shed but if they are not in the way leave them alone. wasps do a lot of good keeping many other insect pests under control
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Insects - Robin O'Reliant
