Bowles’s Mauve is a top plant for wildlife gardeners and insects!
Erysimum Bowles's Mauve for wildlife gardeners I am often asked which are good plants to have in a wildlife garden. This small bushy evergreen perennial wallflower (Erysimum linifolium 'Bowles' Mauve') is definitely one of my top choices. Bees, butterflies, moths and...
The bird feeder and the persistent squirrel, a battle of wits-video
The bird feeder and the persistent squirrel, a battle of wits!! Everytime the squirrel came, the birds stayed away from the bird feeder and the area around it. First I bought a bird pole squirrel guard, which worked. So the squirrel started to try and outsmart me! A...
Solitary bee nest box with observation windows-updated video
View solitary bees inside their nest boxes, their pests and coexistence with other species What happens inside your bug boxes? Want to show children bees at school? Want to observe bees? Want to increase your solitary bee numbers? Want to potentially increase your...
Neonicotinoids out of sight not out of mind (or soil, compost, seed dressings or bulbs)
Out of sight not out of mind (or soil, compost, seed dressings, bulbs, top fruit, cereals, soft fruit) Please don't think neonicotinoid pesticides have gone away just because there has been talk of a 'ban' - or because they (or bee decline) haven't been mentioned much...
Potential varroa biological control? video
Stratiolaelaps scimitus (formerly Hypoaspis miles) a possible predator of varroa? Many years ago, Dr. David Gillespie an entomologist with of Agriculture Canada, discovered a leaf litter dwelling generalist predatory mite, which is also a native UK mite, that feeds...
Bumblebee buzz pollination-video
Hear this noisey bumblebee inside a poppy flower Many people have heard the sound of buzzing bumblebees inside flowers, but what exactly are they doing? It is called sonication and is a technique used by bumblebees to harvest more pollen from the flower anthers. They...
Buzzy the bumblebee, seed balls and kids….. a fun day!
Teaching children that nature can be fun! 60 Manchester school children had a great fun day out in a local park. After completing bumblebee quizzes, mazes, word searches and other bee related activities it was time to roll up their sleeves and make mud balls! We mixed...
Spot the Spanish slug-citizen science Slugwatch website
Spanish slug (Arion vulgaris) and SlugWatch web site In early spring 2012 a new species of slug, the Spanish slug, was identified for the first time in the UK, by Dr. Ian Bedford of the John Innes Centre, Norwich. It is thought it entered the UK on imported salad...
Spiders in da house mobile identification app!
Spider in da house! This time of the year, numerous spiders leave our wildlife gardens to venture into our houses, often ending up in the bath!! Recently, the Society of Biology launched a new recording app and is asking everyone to report their findings. The app...
Can you spot the southern hawker dragonfly?!!
Southern hawker (Aeshna cyanea) dragonfly hanging from branch in oak tree Normally patrolling areas, especially along hedges for insect snacks, for me it is unusual to see this dragonfly when it has landed. It was sheltering from the drizzle at Rixton Clay Pits,...