Melittobia acasta battlefield inside a leafcutter bee cocoon video
A war zone inside a leafcutter bee cocoon After coming across Monodontomerus wasps and then Pteromalus wasps, my next customer to film was this minute chalcid wasp Melittobia acastsa. It is not fussy which bee it targets. In fact it targets several species of bees and...
Spider with eggs inside solitary bee nest box video
Spider with eggs inside solitary bee nest box video Spiders and other creature use solitary bee nest boxes overwinter. This female had her eggs inside and was watching over them. This is just one example of why you should have a solitary bee nest box that you can...
Bumblebee queen nest searching and recommended flowers film
Bumblebee queens and their foraging plants Soon last years ‘new bumblebee queens’ will be emerging from hibernation, feeding up on pollen during the day and hiding from overnight frosts. Then healthy queens (as opposed to nematode infected ones) will shortly be...
Video Organic Raised No Dig Beds Hugelkultur style improves soil
The magic of woodchips and earthworms in your vegetable beds I was prompted to write this article as I have so much information, experiences and photographs, just sitting on my Mac not being of use to anyone! Then I saw this Tweet and read "Agroforestry and using...
BTO Garden BirdWatchers find Hedgehogs active in December 2016
Why are you still awake? Rise in Hedgehog sightings due to late start to winter. Active Hedgehogs were being seen in gardens well into December, according to reports from the British Trust for Ornithology’s weekly Garden BirdWatch (BTO GBW) scheme. Volunteer Garden...
Do neonicotinoids harm/affect other wildlife besides bees? Yes! Update Jan 2017
My article "Do neonicotinoids affect other wildlife as well as bees? The new DDT?" made me realise that to keep abreast of this mounting evidence that they do affect other non targeted wildlife, I decided to collate science papers and corresponding press articles...
6 Blue Tit chicks die in my nest box in worst year ever 2016 video
BTO state worst breeding season on record for Blue Tits in 2016 I am an avid bird feeder and enjoy, like many millions of other people, watching the birds and their antics in the garden. I have encouraged many birds to nest here as well, such as Great...
Osmia leaiana, Red Mason bee and leafcutter bee cocoons comparison video
Red Mason bee, Osmia bicornis, Osmia leaiana cocoons and a leafcutter bee cell to compare Lined next to each other for comparison, with the pesto bee! Osmia leaiana cocoon left inside its cell in situ and the other two added. As with other solitary bee cocoons,...
Video Bullfinches feeding on Sorrel seeds in wildflower meadow lawn
A pair of Bullfinches feeding upon Sorrel seeds in my wildflower meadow lawn Although they visit my garden for the bird feeder during the winter and spring months, it was great to see the pair of them visiting my new wildflower meadow and eating seeds of Common Sorrel...
Organic Gardening the Natural No-Dig Way by Charles Dowding Readers offer
Organic Gardening the Natural No-Dig Way At the very start of my organic gardening life, I was fortunate to come across Jack Temple's book 'Gardening without Chemicals'. I mixed that with Geoff Hamilton's raised deep bed gardening 'Gardeners World Vegetable book' and...