On 01/09/2012 13:39, 'Mike' wrote:

"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...
On 01/09/2012 12:10, 'Mike' wrote: or lack of. Even though the plums
have at long last ripened and some are
in a poor state, no wasps!!

My daughter has a prolific harvest on her plum tree too with fruit
dropping to the ground, again no wasps :-)

There are at most six plums on our neighbours tree which is usually
prolific enough to keep the entire village in plums at this time of
year. Some wasps, quite a few beehives have gone queenless and at last
a handful of butterflies to take advantage of the buddlea flowers but
all in all it has been a really tough year for insects.

It is so bad here that our Christmas forced hyacinths are back in
flower again thinking that they have already endured a winter!


Where are you Martin? I'm in the Isle of Wight

North Yorkshire. I harvested my broad beans yesterday there was just
about enough for a *single* generous serving. Hardly any got pollinated.
Same for the runner beans with just two edible sized pods on 8 plants to
date except they are still flowering nicely and now at last being
pollinated. It hasn't been too hot for them!

The ground frost this week looks like it might have done for the broad
bean plants. My courgettes have yet to have one female flower.

Blueberries are OK (but the one that got frosted has no crop at all).

I have seen perhaps a dozen butterflies so far year to date. In a normal
year I would expect to see more than that outside my door every day
since there is pink valerian, honeysuckle and buddleia nearby.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown