No Bees

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alan refail
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...and now, with a late burst of summer, the butterflies are out in force. Mostly small tortoiseshell today. And even a dragonfly up from the river - the only one so far this year.
Cred air o bob deg a glywi, a thi a gei rywfaint bach o wir (hen ddihareb Gymraeg)
Believe one tenth of what you hear, and you will get some little truth (old Welsh proverb)
Monika
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Here, too, Alan. Suddenly red admirals, peacocks and small tortoiseshell have turned up, especially on sedums, verbena bonariensis and the last remnants of buddleia, as well as a few large whites. Sad not to have seen any commas since very early this summer.

The fennel flowers (about 7 feet high) are covered in insects of many descriptions. The wasps are also getting a bit flighty and coming into the house at the first whiff of cooking.
Colin Miles
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Yes - I have a resident small tortoiseshell and too many small and large whites. And darters around the pond. The bees are busy around the runners but small in size. If it stays fine for a couple of weeks, who knows what veg will prosper?
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Johnboy
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Hi Colin,
All of a sudden we have a plethora of bumble bees. The Buddleia is covered with them and also there are many on my Runner Beans but there is a total lack of Butterflies on and around the plot. I have seen a Large White in the last week and a couple of brown jobs and that is about all.
We had no stone fruit whatsoever this year and probably this is why Wasps are also a rarity this year.
My runner beans are now producing masses of beans with the exception of Moonlight which has had plenty of flower but so far has failed to give satisfactory results. I do not think that I will grow them again because under the same growing conditions they simple are not performing to expectations whereas all the other varieties are now doing so well.
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vegpatchmum
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We have loads of Damselflies and Dragonflies about at the moment. Had 4 lovely Damsel sitting on the post and rail fence which separates the lawn from the veg patch, the other day and they appeared to be eating lunch :D Kept taking off and then landing and I was close enough to see them munching away on what looked like midges or black/greenfly :)

Loads of bumble and a fair few honey bees about as well now and I've seen several butterflies, although mercifully few Whites. Baby frogs are in abundance at the moment as well and so it's a case of carefully picking my way along the paths, beds and lawn.

Oddly, though, the small birds are conspicuous by their absence. Usually have a plethora of sparrows, starlings, dunnocks, various finches and blackbirds around at this time of year. The finches especially are normally all over the old sunflower heads but not this year :?

We do have a family of fledgling wrens hopping about making an enormous amount of noise for such small birds at the moment and the resident robin but I can't help but worry that the unpredictableness of this years weather has really hit the wild birds hard :(

VPM
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Primrose
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The very wet June/July finished off the bumble bee colony nesting in our garden and since then I've spotted very few bees although a few do seem to have appeared to pollinate my runner bean plants. I think it's generally be a very poor summer for them which doesn't augur well for their winter survival.
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Clive.
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We have know got loads of "dragonflies " about.
Several Small Tortoiseshells, Peacocks, a few Comma, Red Admiral, and I noted one Painted Lady a couple of days ago and a Brimstone and Speckled Wood today. Whites too.... Some day flying moths are about too. Honey Bees very busy on the Sedum and now loads of other Bees on the front Lavender and the Wall Germander in the centre of the rose garden. Hoverflies and other flies on the Golden Rod.

So, suddenly, much activity. :)

Clive. :)
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Primrose
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this often seems to happen when you get a touch of Indian Summer. It's as if they all come out to party before the hard times set in.
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Clive.
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Perhaps they heard.....Rain on Monday and generally a cooler week......

Clive.
Nature's Babe
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A seasonal list of plants to help our bees and provide nectar by the bee keepers association

http://www.bbka.org.uk/files/library/po ... 045511.pdf
Sit down before a fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every preconcieved notion, follow humbly wherever and to whatever abyss nature leads, or you shall learn nothing.
By Thomas Huxley
http://www.wildrye.info/reserve/
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Chantal
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Seems to be a possible surfeit elswhere... :roll:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-19913180
Chantal

I know this corner of the earth, it smiles for me...
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glallotments
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We have had lots of bees on the plot - they were buzzing all over the dahlias. These were grown from seed and should have been pompoms but only developed into single or semi double which in one way I am pleased about as the bees love them. I'll grow singles for them in future.
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Parsons Jack
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Over the last couple of weeks, the Ivy along the Leas at Folkestone has been covered in bees. They are quite small and are obviously the new fertile males and females.
An absolute frenzied orgy of nectar and sex. Just like clubbing on a Saturday night. Or so I've heard 8) :?
Cheers PJ.

I'm just off down the greenhouse. I won't be long...........
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