Hedgerows and trees covered in silk? Possible suspects
Silk on hedgerows or trees at this time of the year? You may see layers of silk along hedges or trees. Silk is made by both the Ermine moth and the Oak Processionary moth. So which is it? 4 June 2014 At this time of year we often receive reports of ghostly...
The Solitary Bees – a short documentary by Team Candiru
The Solitary Bees – a short documentary available to watch for free This is a stunning, sharp, fascinating film with a focused and scientific narrative which is not 'over the top' and well within the bounds of non scientists. It gives a glimpse into a world many...
The Buzz Club Pollinator Citizen Science Project 1
Pollinator Abundance Network Join this group of scientists and non scientists, adults and children to help find out more about bees and our other pollinators! No doubt this partnership should be an interesting collaboration! For wildlife gardeners, organic gardeners...
Helping, watching, feeding our declining hedgehogs. You can help!
Our Hedgehogs are decling faster than tigers! I'm sure you would agree whether you are a wildlife gardner or not, seeing hedgehogs roaming in your own garden is a pleasant experience. Unfortunately, they are rapidly declining. In the 1950's it was estimated there were...
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Nurturing Nature at the Insect Festival 2015 Sunday 5 July 2015 York
INSECT FESTIVAL 2015 - SUNDAY 5 JULY 2015 Following the success of previous years the Insect Festival will be taking place in York again in July this year. IF15 on Sunday 5 July 2015 is a celebration for anyone with a fascination for insects - from exhibitors and...
Pteromalus wasp leafcutter bee parasitoid
The Chalcid wasp that is a small silent assassin of leafcutter bees! I have seen this over the years here and in my last garden. I overlooked it thinking it was a small fly! How wrong I was! I never realised how lethal this wasp is. Pteromalus wasp is very small. I...
Bee fly, a bumblebee mimic, with a dark secret!
Bee fly, Bombylius major, a bumblebee mimic feeding in my wildlife garden This large bee fly looks like a dark-edged specimen, Bombylius major, one of only four species in Britain. It looks rather innocent as it feeds upon the nectar from your garden flowers. It has...
Queen Bombus hortorum foraging on wild primroses video
Probably Bombus hortorum, the Garden Bumblebee, feeding on primroses This is a longue tongued bumblebee which she would need to collect the nectar deep within the primroses. Its long narrow head helps with this task. Not all bumblebees, frustratingly for them!, can...
“Is your ‘bee hotel’ a nursery for disease and pests” talk Liverpool World Museum 2015
A Guest Speaker at the Annual General Meeting Amateur Entomologists Society April 2015 I was invited to give a talk about 'bees and bee boxes' by the AES and I based it loosely along the lines of my posting about the potential dangers of using some bee hotels (bee...
Not one but TWO hedgehogs feeding in feeding station with window
Filming hedgehogs safe inside my hedgehog feeding station Its great to have one hedgehog in your garden but to have two and film them eating makes my day! One has been visiting regularly for some time now. I noticed that sometimes 'my hedgehog' seemed to be getting...