Xref: kermit uk.rec.gardening:197501

Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
The message
from Kevin Groves contains these words:

Troy wrote:

Never seen so many before - they're everywhere. Anyone else noticed
this or
are they just in my garden :-)

(North East Lincolnshire).


Quite a few. Also the biggest one I've ever seen about half the size of
my little finger nail.


Brown with white-bordered black spots?

No, it was a large red one with white spots.

Kev,

The message
from Kevin Groves contains these words:
Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
The message
from Kevin Groves contains these words:


Quite a few. Also the biggest one I've ever seen about half the size of
my little finger nail.


Brown with white-bordered black spots?

No, it was a large red one with white spots.

Not seen one of those, but there are completely red varieties of the
brown one, and totally black ones. (Anatis ocellata)

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:


Not seen one of those, but there are completely red varieties of the
brown one, and totally black ones. (Anatis ocellata)


I've only seen the black ones on rare occasions. Perhaps less than half
a dozen times ever.

Kev,

"mike" wrote in message
...
I've been given a 'ladybird house' for the garden (basically a 1/4 log end
with a lot of holes in it)

What is the best sort of location for it - exposed/sheltered, high/low ?

It came with some 'ladybird food'! - I presume it would be a waste putting
this out until later in the year ?

and if you know any more appropriate places for asking these questions,
I'd
be interested to see them !

thanks
mike


I have a feeling that these things are made to provide a safe place for
them to hibernate in so it wouldn't be used until next winter. Not sure
where to site it though.. perhaps you could google fo an answer. Sorry I
cannot be more helpful.

In article , w.g.s.hamm
writes

"mike" wrote in message
...
I've been given a 'ladybird house' for the garden (basically a 1/4 log end
with a lot of holes in it)

What is the best sort of location for it - exposed/sheltered, high/low ?

It came with some 'ladybird food'! - I presume it would be a waste putting
this out until later in the year ?

and if you know any more appropriate places for asking these questions,
I'd
be interested to see them !

thanks
mike


I have a feeling that these things are made to provide a safe place for
them to hibernate in so it wouldn't be used until next winter. Not sure
where to site it though.. perhaps you could google fo an answer. Sorry I
cannot be more helpful.

Try the CJ Birdfoods site - I think they sell them, and the site is
usually quite informative.


--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

mike wrote:
I've been given a 'ladybird house' for the garden (basically a 1/4
log end with a lot of holes in it)

What is the best sort of location for it - exposed/sheltered,
high/low ?

It came with some 'ladybird food'! - I presume it would be a waste
putting this out until later in the year ?

and if you know any more appropriate places for asking these
questions, I'd be interested to see them !

Think like a ladybird. ;-)
It's cold and miserable. Where can I shelter?
Not in an exposed place.
Out of the wind. Out of the rain.
And preferably with a southern aspect.

And don't be surprised when you take it down to see if they like it
and find the inside empty and all the bugs hiding round the back
between their 'house' and the nice warm brick wall.
:-))

--
ned

http://www.bugsandweeds.co.uk
last update 08.03.2005

mike wrote:
I've been given a 'ladybird house' for the garden (basically a 1/4
log end with a lot of holes in it)

What is the best sort of location for it - exposed/sheltered,
high/low ?

It came with some 'ladybird food'! - I presume it would be a waste
putting this out until later in the year ?

and if you know any more appropriate places for asking these
questions, I'd be interested to see them !

thanks
mike

I can't help you, Mike, but whilst we're on the topic of encouraging useful
insects, could I ask you to consider purchasing a bumble bee box to go with
it (they're not that expensive)? My grandfather bought three years ago and
it's been occupied ever since. We have lost nearly 50% of the species we had
in this country (I can't remember how many there were to begin with) and, of
the remainder, nearly half are in serious trouble.

I'm not advertising, and I didn't mean to hijack your topic, but I've been
meaning to mention this for a while, just never found the opportunity.

--
In memory of MS MVP Alex Nichol: http://www.dts-l.org/

mike wrote in message
...
I've been given a 'ladybird house' for the garden (basically a 1/4 log end
with a lot of holes in it)

What is the best sort of location for it - exposed/sheltered, high/low ?

It came with some 'ladybird food'! - I presume it would be a waste putting
this out until later in the year ?

and if you know any more appropriate places for asking these questions,
I'd
be interested to see them !

thanks
mike


Hi Mike,
Try this site http://www.growingsuccess.org.uk/

Spider

Sadly I haven't seen a ladybird up here (glasgow) for yonks. When I was a nipper my dad used to pay me to collect them by the jarful from waste ground and put them on his roses. I have seen one gigantic bumble bee struggling about in the garden though, out a bit early I think.

I've been tempted to buy some ladybirds, but I have a vision of me standing in the garden shaking my fist as they blithely fly straight off the roses and head south where it's warmer!

In article , Miss
Perspicacia Tick writes

I can't help you, Mike, but whilst we're on the topic of encouraging useful
insects, could I ask you to consider purchasing a bumble bee box to go with
it (they're not that expensive)? My grandfather bought three years ago and
it's been occupied ever since. We have lost nearly 50% of the species we had
in this country (I can't remember how many there were to begin with) and, of
the remainder, nearly half are in serious trouble.

Why are they in trouble? Is it because of lack of nesting places? I
think that's the reason behind the decline of some of the bees that
burrow into dry bare earthy places. But if it's for some other reason
that they're declining, a bumble bee box isn't necessarily going to
help, although encouraging them to your own garden rather than somewhere
else is always nice :-)

Not trying to be discouraging, just asking as it's something I don't
know much about.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

Also don't be surprised that all sorts of other insects will use the
ladybird box. I've had mine for almost two years and have seen all
kinds of insects in there but no ladybirds - yet!

Glenda



On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 19:07:55 -0000, "ned"
tippy-typed:

mike wrote:
I've been given a 'ladybird house' for the garden (basically a 1/4
log end with a lot of holes in it)

What is the best sort of location for it - exposed/sheltered,
high/low ?

It came with some 'ladybird food'! - I presume it would be a waste
putting this out until later in the year ?

and if you know any more appropriate places for asking these
questions, I'd be interested to see them !

Think like a ladybird. ;-)
It's cold and miserable. Where can I shelter?
Not in an exposed place.
Out of the wind. Out of the rain.
And preferably with a southern aspect.

And don't be surprised when you take it down to see if they like it
and find the inside empty and all the bugs hiding round the back
between their 'house' and the nice warm brick wall.
:-))

--
10 Years! Coronation Street Weekly Updates for th'Internet
http://www.corrieweeklyupdates.btinternet.co.uk

Kay wrote in message
...
In article , Miss
Perspicacia Tick writes

I can't help you, Mike, but whilst we're on the topic of encouraging
useful
insects, could I ask you to consider purchasing a bumble bee box to go
with
it (they're not that expensive)? My grandfather bought three years ago
and
it's been occupied ever since. We have lost nearly 50% of the species we
had
in this country (I can't remember how many there were to begin with) and,
of
the remainder, nearly half are in serious trouble.

Why are they in trouble? Is it because of lack of nesting places? I
think that's the reason behind the decline of some of the bees that
burrow into dry bare earthy places. But if it's for some other reason
that they're declining, a bumble bee box isn't necessarily going to
help, although encouraging them to your own garden rather than somewhere
else is always nice :-)

Not trying to be discouraging, just asking as it's something I don't
know much about.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

Hi Kay,

I don't know the whole story, but there is certainly a foreign, and larger,
ladybird attacking ours. Have a google for the DEFRA website as I believe
this bug is reportable.
Also, there are still a lot of gardeners and farmers out there who are
intent on spraying.

Spider

"Kay" wrote in message
...

Sine we are on ladybirds, you are talking about the harlequin ladybird,
introduced to US for pest control and now out of control (when will we
ever learn?) - see

http://www.harlequin-survey.org/default.htm
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"


Amazing, I thought that a ladybird was a ladybird until I read the threads
here and also the Times yesterday where it has made the front page! The
harlequin ladybird aparently originated from Asia but after introduction to
the US and contintental Europe for pest control is now the most common type
there! According to the Times they are slightly larger than most of our
variants and have a white plate just behind the head with a large black
marking in the shape of the letter M. Unfortunately there are a few
harlequin coloured variants which don't fit in with this id! See the link
referred to by Kay. Here in my garden in SEast Scotland I have noticed a few
ladybirds starting to stir again, but now armed with my new knowledge I will
be checking them over carefully!
Anybody sighted them further up the country, yet?

regards,

David

David writes
Amazing, I thought that a ladybird was a ladybird until I read the threads
here and also the Times yesterday where it has made the front page! The
harlequin ladybird aparently originated from Asia but after introduction to
the US and contintental Europe for pest control is now the most common type
there! According to the Times they are slightly larger than most of our
variants and have a white plate just behind the head with a large black
marking in the shape of the letter M. Unfortunately there are a few
harlequin coloured variants which don't fit in with this id! See the link
referred to by Kay. Here in my garden in SEast Scotland I have noticed a few
ladybirds starting to stir again, but now armed with my new knowledge I will
be checking them over carefully!
Anybody sighted them further up the country, yet?

Saw my first one today, seven spot with quite dark red, in the growing
tip of an aucuba, but only the one.
--
David
Ist of the chilterns on Herts/Beds/Cambs borders

There are ladybirds about now

"mike" wrote in message
...
I've been given a 'ladybird house' for the garden (basically a 1/4 log end
with a lot of holes in it)

What is the best sort of location for it - exposed/sheltered, high/low ?

It came with some 'ladybird food'! - I presume it would be a waste putting
this out until later in the year ?

and if you know any more appropriate places for asking these questions,
I'd
be interested to see them !

thanks
mike