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School, so there are certain protocols to follow. First, I had to justify its removal. The local authority, Southwark, who would have dealt with it had the tree been a danger or a health hazard, thought the request to fell it unusual: "We don't normally

of pale, blousy flowers for the last 10 years.The rest of the garden has matured a bit since then, so we can afford a bit of bare wood before we decide what to do next. And, in removing the tangled stems, we uncovered a series of pale opalescent pearls

the apples in crumble, cobbler, jam and chutney. So I can chop and remove all the pre-chewed, frass-polluted and maggoty parts. Delicious.This is only the second year I have noticed significant numbers of bored apples. Perhaps this is because it is only

woodlouse in the middle of moulting. Unlike insects and spiders, which rid the whole outer skin at once, woodlice remove first the back half, then, a few days later, the front half. This is the smooth woodlouse, Oniscus asellus, just slipping off its

, is that the longer the maggot waits before turning into a beetle, the more likely it is to be disturbed by someone removing the timber, or to fall victim to predator, parasite or disease. The adult beetle may appear bold and imposing, but the larva, even a big one

.Once the new sexual generation of males and queens have emerged, all the other wasps die off and the nest will never be used again; so it is always safe to remove an old one and dissect it. Unless, of course, you happen to live in New Zealand, where

working alone. As well as cautious humans removing them from allotment sheds, the nests are also prone to flooding, mould and disturbance from predators. The queen will have to look elsewhere for another suitable site. With luck she will now find a hollow

that didn't have to be removed were left in place; although few remain, their stumps and fallen logs are still present in the gardens and the rotting subterranean timber is still feeding the stag beetle larvae.The target of the cat's interest and the pig

. And yet it is precisely this shelter which is most in danger of being tidied away, cut down, mulched, shredded, composted or otherwise removed to make way for next year's grand displays.If you want wildlife to feel at home in your garden, let it make a