Never seen anything like this

[devonwoody]

Ladybirds on our runner beans at 10am this morning.

Same spot on runner beans 5 hours later.

 

[loz]

Wonderbugs,

They'll send you an invoice for the work when you least expect................

 

[RogerS]

Bless 'em. We've sadly seen very few this year.

Luckily our resident snail and slug removal experts have been hard at work so that balances things out.

 

[xy mosian]

It's a wonder they could move after that feast
xy

 

[Good Surname or what ?]

That's great reason to ban the use of garden insecticides. Let nature maintain a balance.

On the subject of slugs. My "better" half has been known to cut them up with a scissors when I objected to slug pellets. What can you do with a woman like that? I think she has seen the light on that one now - but god, what a horrible thing to do. I'll happily share my lettuce with a slug to save it from that fate.

 

[Digit]

It can be difficult with a tiny garden but with our near half acre we use no artificial pest control at all.
The only thing in the past that has beaten us is the Gooseberry Saw Fly grub, none of the various birds seem to to have any liking for the damn things!

Roy.

 

[Lons]

That's great reason to ban the use of garden insecticides. Let nature maintain a balance.

On the subject of slugs. My "better" half has been known to cut them up with a scissors when I objected to slug pellets. What can you do with a woman like that? I think she has seen the light on that one now - but god, what a horrible thing to do. I'll happily share my lettuce with a slug to save it from that fate.

YUK :!: :!: :!:

I cut up a slug to feed a sick baby hedgehog last year and could never do it again - horrible mess - made me feel sick ( hedgehog gobbled it down though :roll: )

Bob

 

[Setch]

Try stepping on a slug whilst you're wearing socks. Every washing reconstitutes it like new. Ugh.

 

[Travis]

Gooseberry Saw Fly grub,

per Roy

With a name like that, not even a mother could love it.

Travis

 

[Benchwayze]

Woody,
I remember in 1976, we had a plague of ladybirds; They solved the greenfly/blackfly problem. It was also big news at the time that the flowers on runner beans weren't setting. I believed at the time I had discovered why.

I noticed a ladybird at the back of one of the flowers. The beetle was obviously biting through the base, to get at the nectar, presumably because it because it was so dry that year.

The bees picked up on this like lightning, and instead of going to the flower as normal, they were nipping around the back to drink their fill through the holes the ladybirds had made.

And who says insects can't think logically? They might be hard workers, but they know a free lunch when they see one!

No one ever believed me before, so I doubt anyone will now. I curse myself that I never got around to processing the pics I took, at the time!



There you go. Just thought that might be of interest.

John

 

[devonwoody]

We are getting a bumper crop of runners this year thanks to the ladybirds, previous years I have used a spray when blackfly was getting out of hand but the orange beauties this year are very large specimens, the freezer is overfilling so nature can do me a favour and have the remainder.

 

[bugbear]

It can be difficult with a tiny garden but with our near half acre we use no artificial pest control at all.
The only thing in the past that has beaten us is the Gooseberry Saw Fly grub, none of the various birds seem to to have any liking for the damn things!

Roy.

I've seen bird nesting boxes recommended as a rather indirect method of pest control.

Nesting Boxes -> better breeding -> more birds -> less insects.

The nest boxes need to be the right size for the insectivorous birds, of course.

BugBear

 

[Digit]

Birds shun boxes in our garden and use the trees and Ivy instead.
Choosy little buggers some of them.

Roy.

 

[Lons]

Birds shun boxes in our garden and use the trees and Ivy instead.
Choosy little buggers some of them.

Roy.

Your boxes obviously don't meet current regs then :lol: :lol: :lol:

We.ve got some ivy as well and it's a block of flats for the sparrows. Whoever says they're in decline hasn't been to our house - must be 50 of the little blighters.
Just a little noisy first thing :roll:

Bob

 

[Digit]

Reminder for tomorrow. Contact local planning authority, re Habitation Requirements for Avian Tenants. :lol:

Roy.

 

[Orcamesh]

DW, I think they are Harlequin Ladybirds. They are a troublesome cousin of our native ladybirds and have in fact been killing off our native ones in recent years since coming across from the continent (global warming and all that)!

See http://www.harlequin-survey.org/

and

http://www.harlequin-survey.org/recognition_and_distinction.htm

We have had many at our place causing havoc. They are quite bright compared to our own and make a right mess when you splat them!

Hope this helps?
Steve

 

[devonwoody]

Well they are better workers than ours, so they are welcome , just like modern Britain perhaps. :wink: