Two years ago I built some 'Bug Houses' for whoever fancied living in them and although there were not many takers the first year, the 'hotels' were fully booked last year. This spring there seems to be some mad activity in the garden with many different types of bees, some of which I have never noticed before. There are loads of these fellows and they seem to really love the Clematis Montana, Primroses and Rosemary bushes that are now in flower. Not many Bumble Bees at the moment but they usually arrive in large numbers when the Campanula and Poppies are flowering. This is the type of bee that is all over the garden. They don't sting and seem very placid and are quite happy sitting on my hand in the sun. I put some sugar syrup out on a saucer and they sure do love that .....
Not out today we were busy yesterday. Mrs Jab busy getting creative in the kitchen steaming some salmon fillets.
My daughter and I built another bug house yesterday, tucked away in a corner. I get loads of bee species in the garden, tree bumblebees especially and those big monsters like a furry chinook.
As a project, we are rearing some Small tortoiseshell caterpillars through to Butterflies. Junior WKS showing a keen interest. Just have to mind the Nettles, as that's all they eat.
They'd be fine in my garden then, got a few nettle patches. See a few peacocks fluttering about as they like nettles too Nothing, but nothing seems to eat brambles! ****ing vicious bastard triffid things. I say nothing eats them, my stick insects eat them, but I'm not allowed to release them into my hedge.
This is an interesting post. I have seen these bug houses for sale and was always sceptical that they would work. It is good to know that you have had success with them , Kaito. I am tempted to try. Insects are so difficult to identify. I have guides on butterflies, moths and dragonflies / damselflies but find all of these little use when out in the field birdwatching. The moth book was expensive and is comprehensive for macro-moth but it I want to waste on hour, the easiest thing to do is try to identify is in this book. They are really difficult. I have not progressed on to bees yet. I have a DK pocket guide to insects which covers the range of families of insects you might expect to find. It is an interesting book although I have never managed to identify anything with it !
Fats This is typical of the kind of queries I would have!! Is there any expert out there? The weirdest insect I have ever encountered is a Buff Tip Moth. A labourer on site was sweeping the floor and thought is was a twig, only to be shocked when the thing took off and flew away.
OK, I'm a bit of an insect buff, and just revisiting my interest from my younger days! Butterflies are much easier than moths in general to id, but then there are far more species of moth, with many quite similar. I prefer the big stuff like Hawkmoths. Any guide with illustrations by Richard Lewington are good. Buff Tips are great, hatched some out as a kid. The perfect Birch twig camouflage.
Just a few short clips from the time when we had a beehive in the garden. The background noise is the pond pump. The bees were ordered from a supplier in devon and were delivered by courier in a nuc (nucleus) box. The nuc box placed where the hive will sit Wifey on her first moon landing. Preparing to release the bees from the nuc box.
Bees released and allowed to settle in their new surroundings Swapping the frames from the nuc box to the hive
Now in their new home First inspection Putting the super (the section where the honey is) on The background noise is an aeroplane not a big bee
IOAG, I nearly took on one of my brother-in-law's hives but decided that my allergy to bee stings probably made that a bad decision. They are fascinating things though.
I’m envious. I wanted bees and even took my wife to meet local bee keeping society. she still said no.
We don't have them in the garden anymore. Strangely, different swarms can have different temperaments. The swarm that you see in the clips were calm and no trouble but they died over the first winter. A member of the bee society wifey belongs to gave her another swarm but they were right bastards and stung us even if we weren't close to the hive. There is a procedure where you can change the queen and hopefully get a better brood but this didn't work out and the bastard bees died as well. Wifey found a farmer down the road who was happy to have the hive on his land, so with a new swarm that's where it is now along with some more he has added himself. They've been there for quite a few years now without any more casualties. She sees keeping bees as a worthwhile hobby in itself and not for the honey as she doesn't really like it.
