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in case I was dangerous, or sizing me up as potential prey.They have slightly more interesting garden 'pests' in Florida. This paper wasp nest was tucked out of the way against the eves, and anyway it was very small.And one day I turned over a few small

. It was a hoverfly. Myathropa florea is a handsome and distinctive fly, both wasp-like in its colours, and honeybee-like in its size, build and vuvuzela buzz.What was it doing in the drain? It was probably egg laying. This is one of the hoverflies

. On Sunday, our ivy was abuzz with bees, wasps, hoverflies and other insects, but when this fast-food source is gone, they will still need the most basic of their primary needs - shelter. Animals coming to 'visit' flowers, or bird tables, or fat balls, is all

biological reason for this.Honeybees, bumblebees and social wasps all congregate around prominent branches or treetops when they mate. Males gather together at these vantage points and mark them with a scent which then attracts females. These 'social' insects

blues, and speckled woods.The hoverflies have appeared in earnest, and bumbles, wasps and solitary bees are everywhere. There is an audible hum, usually only heard in June. They are all squabbling over the raspberry flowers. Pond-skaters are frolicking

-nesting bees and wasps (I'll drill ready-made nest holes for them). I'm slightly surprised that there is no action "prevent ponds from becoming overshadowed by nearby trees and shrubs" on the website. I've always taken this as one of the cardinal rules of pond

-leaved Virginia-type creeper (not sure what kind) covering the large west-facing wall is rattling as if sand grains were raining down it. Yesterday it was abuzz, positively humming, with bees and wasps visiting the flowers, all of which are hidden under the leaves