Talkback: National Insect Week - Talkback

23/06/2010 at 15:02

Hi Richard, a few weeks ago I made a nettle feed and I left it far too long. It stank, as you can imagine, and this party of orange flies descended on it for some sort of mating fest. I have a perfectly nice pond for them but they were all grubbing around in the smelly nettle feed. It was quite off-putting. No hoverflies though, sadly.

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23/06/2010 at 22:31

I have pyracantha hedge (P. Red Column, P. Saphyr Yellow, P. Orange Glow I think)5feet high 2feet wide, and for the last 3 weeks it has been producing flowers, but this year it seems to have been attracting a lot more bees than in previous years. At least four different type of wild bees, plus honey bees have been attracted to the very unusual scented flowers.

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24/06/2010 at 18:44

I've actualy seen two Ladybirds mating. It was a great surprise, and one i will not forget!

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24/06/2010 at 20:37

I have all sorts of insects in my garden but a lack of ladybirds amazes me as other people in the village are inundated with them, my bugs seem to be the one's I don't want. my favourite are the bee's butterflies and ladybirds. worst enemies vine weevals and red lily beatle.

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25/06/2010 at 00:25

How do I become 1 of you guys. Have a great admiration for the little creatures EXCEPT the 'Flower Bug'. 1 bite from these fellows and I suffer a reaction requiring a rush to the Drs.Saddened by the decline of the bee species.My brother has Masonry Bees at his bungalow. Notice how they are so different to the ones at my own home. Fascinated me for ages.Think 'kaycurtis' meant 'beetle'. The fab four hate being called 'red lily' LOL

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29/06/2010 at 07:21

It would be very helpful for those of us who want to help the honey bees if we could get a list of garden plants that they like. Most of the plants and seeds marked 'good for butterflies and bees' mean bumble bees and the structure of the honey bees mouth parts mean that they cannot always use the same plants.

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29/06/2010 at 10:55

a new book is soon coming out on gardening for butterflies, bees and other beneficial insects by Jan Miller-Klein

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29/06/2010 at 15:14

does anyone know what the swarms of small flies close to the surface of the ponds are at the moment? They appear to be mating and/or laying. They have long legs similar to mosquitos and keep coming in and flying close to our laminate flooring, mistaking it for the surface of a pond!

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30/06/2010 at 06:45

i have just discovered a bees nest when i removed the plastic covering i was using to kill off weeds, @ my allotment. i raked back the dead grass weeds etc that covered the nest. i have surrounded the nest so no one can accidently stand on it, gave them back what i had removed. to my amazement they quickly covered theirselves again. fascinating creatures.

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01/07/2010 at 18:50

I have recently noticed these horrible little insects that resemble a ladybird on my lilies, I keep removing the eggs but they are back the next day, is there something I could do to deter these horrible little things that are destroying my much loved lilies.

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01/07/2010 at 19:30

We have been able to eat most of our meals outside under our pergola recently. There is a kiwi vine (Jenny, I believe) climbing over it and we were pleased to see how many bees have been attracted to the pretty apricot-yellow flowers. Kaycurtis, I too, in mid-Hampshire, have noticed a lack of ladybirds, unusual for us.

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02/07/2010 at 20:12

What insect builds a cocoon of leaves in soil (of spring cabbage seedlings)? I have creatures similar to wasps/bees that have made a hole in the soil of my spring cabbage seedlings and keep returning with small pieces of leaves. When I broke the soil away there are neat cocoons made of the leaves with a waxy substance inside. What are the creatures?

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03/07/2010 at 12:30

I don't know whether the comment by 'waspie' relates to the same beastie that attacks me quite often. I haven't needed hospital treatment yet but I'd love to know what it is. Can anyone help please? It is a really tiny bug but it's the only insect that's makes me exclaim loudly when it bites and if I don't get antihistamine cream on the area immediately, a huge, itchy blister appears. As I said it's tiny, black with white markings on it. It seems to lurk in shady places in the garden waiting for me! Thanks

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03/07/2010 at 18:12

Can anyone tell what the name of this plan is???? i have looked everywhere for an answer, please help!!!! Hazel

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09/07/2010 at 17:27

hi could someone tell me what has nested in my bugbox log,its only been in the garden a few weeks and yesterday i noticed this small bee[of somesort] going in and out with a small piece of leaf,some of the holes have been blocked up already with a leaf,and ive just been watching it.is it the same bee thats blocked the other holes up? as its a very busy-bee....hahaha.

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13/07/2010 at 10:00

Reply to everyone. Many thanks for all your queries. Here are a few answers. Dragonfly. There is a long tradition of calling animals, even insects, cock and hen. We still talk about daddy-long-legs and ladybirds. Chafer is from the various European languages kafer, a beetle. Louiseww. Bees and butteflies visit a huge range and variety of flowers. To attract wildlife to a garden, planting flowers is actually way down the list of priorities, well below being untidy, leaving grass to grow long, making a log pile, putting in a pond. Tina. Many midges (biting and non-biting) have aquatic larvae. Paula M. If these are bumblebees, they will probably repair their damaged nest, which is little more than a tumble of grass and herbage anyway. Lindaburgess. Lily beetles. Squish ‘em. Although I did not write about them in my very first blog on this site, there are plenty of comments by visitors after the event. http://blog.gardenersworld.com/2007/07/11/richard-jones-july-post1/ Lyn and Sarahs pondlife. Leafcutter bees. We get them every year. http://blog.gardenersworld.com/2008/02/27/rj-rose-pests-2702008/

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16/07/2010 at 14:20

Reply to Louiseww - Hi, Louise,I have honey bees and grow all sorts for them, but they usually pass them for more exciting plants elsewhere. Contrary little bees... To be honest, if you search the internet for plants for honey bees, loads of information will 'spring up'. Have put a few here for you. Hope this helps? SHRUBS Berberis, Buckthorn, Buddleia, Cotoneaster, Erica, Genista, Ribes, Snowy Mespilus, Snowberry, Veronica. PERENNIALS AND BIENNIALS Anchusa, Arabis, Aubrieta, Campanulas, Canterbury Bells, Cranes-Bill, Centaurea, Forget Me Nots, French Honeysuckles, Globe Thistle, Hollyhock, Linaria, Mallow, Michaelmas Daisy, Nepeta, Rose-Bay, Salvias, Sidalcea, Sedums, Veronica, Verbascum, Violet, Wallflower. SUMMER BEDDING PLANTS Dahlias, Fuchasia, Heliotrope. BULBS Crocus, Hyacinth, Narcissus, Snowdrops, ANNUALS Borage, Cornflower, Clarkia, Limnanthes, Mignonette, Phacelia, Scabious

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24/07/2010 at 08:33

I will grow anything that says it attractive to bees, butterflies etc and I am completely at home with my weeds! However, I have a number of the sterile hardy geraniums - Rozanne and Jolly Bee (I always thought they were the same anyway) and I now wonder if they have any nectar. The bees go to the blooms, but do not seem to stay long. I hope they are not wasting time and energy. Any thoughts

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25/07/2010 at 15:41

Thank you for an interesting read. I will insert into Insectclopedia.com

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03/08/2010 at 19:47

On the 31st of July my wife Joyce called me into the garden and asked me what it was that was buzzing round the budleija, oh,I said casually,that is the great northern humming bird hawk moth.then I explained-I had read of it only the day before in this mag as being in the south of England.Has it been seen this far north previously? Much larger range than expected as we live in Cheshire!!