Going Batty and Waspy

For many years I had a bat detector but the last time I tried it it refused to work. I binned that and thought about a replacement. As I don't always have bats visiting the garden was it worth the expense of buying an all singing, all dancing replacement? One look at the prices made it easy to say a definite No! What I did find was a kit for a basic detector at a much more attractive price. The thought of a kit sounds like there could be lots of fiddly construction. Not with the Haynes Bat Detector Kit. The main circuit board is already fully built which is as well as I have never got on with soldering the modern tiny surface mounted electronics bits. In effect all one has to do is plug in some wires and mount the parts in the correct place. The only extra item needed is a 9V battery.



As you can probably work out the cost is kept down by using a cardboard box rather than plastic. Initially I though this would be a bit flimsy but no, it is quite sturdy to hold. The front is printed and looks very professional:



ON/OFF and volume control on the left. On the right a control to adjust to the ultrasonic frequency you want to detect. Expensive detectors often have the frequency range printed for different types of bats but the type of signal and pattern detected can usually indicate which is which. The instruction manual which accompanies the kit has lots of information about how to test the built kit is working by pointing it at many everyday objects which emit ultra high sounds. LED TV and monitor screens are a good starting point. Near a closed but running microwave oven is another source of emissions. I checked them all and the Bat Detector worked exactly as expected. All I need now are some local bat visits - preferably just outdoor ones. I say that as some years ago I had one fly indoors.

Waspy? Well. The apple feeder didn't seem to be attracting any birds, though it is early days yet. I did peel a strip on the apple hoping that might help. What are the only takers I have seen so far?



Should have guessed that would happen. I will keep the experiment going. When natural food for birds is scarcer and Wasps have died off or hibernated maybe some Winter Thrushes and Blackbirds will show an interest.

Sleepy Wasp and Busy Bee

Today we had a trip out to the vet. It was time for Penny to have her annual vaccine boost. For once she wasn't very keen to get in the car. She used to love the idea of a car ride. I think all the recent months of prodding and testing has made her wary of the real intention of having to get in the car. Also as she ages she finds it harder to leap from ground level to the back seat. The way round that was to move the front passenger seat forward so she can get in the foot well first and then on to the seat.

A couple of days ago I took down a thick wooden shelf from the side of a shed and found this wasp had been sheltering, or possibly hibernating, there:



Today, as the temperature headed up to 17C, I spotted a few bees taking advantage of the warmth and a couple of open Crocus flowers:



I also watched a large bumble bee trying its hardest to fly forwards in a blustery wind.

Not Just a Fly Trap

Checking my Venus Fly Trap I was surprised and pleased to find



it  also catches wasps.

Not the Visitors I Am Waiting For

No sign of any bird activity in the camera nestbox since mid February.
Just the occasional bee and wasp

The Problem and the Solution

A couple of days ago I had noticed the odd wasp hanging around an air brick at the front of the property. Yesterday morning I could see a constant stream of the villains going in an out so there was obviously an active nest somewhere behind the brick.





As their activity was near the front door and any visitors had to pass within inches of the activity it was time to have it dealt with. A search on the net for a company brought up the web pages for EMS Pest Control.



Phoned about 8.30 a.m and Frank arrived soon after 12.30 p.m. to carry out the dastardly deed:





I watched from the safety of my bay window as there was soon a gathering of angry wasps returning and finding a strange substance on their route in.

 

Eventually the activity died down as more returning wasps carried the powder in to the nest. While we waited I had a very pleasant chat with Frank who told me that problem nest activity was starting later than usual this year.

We waited for some time watching to make sure there were no wasps exiting the nest as that would show that those entering had been killed. I will get that brick blocked in as it serves no purpose. It was part of the under floor draught system for an open fireplace but was sealed off indoors years ago when I changed from coal to a gas fire. The room floor is solid concrete so it serves no ventilation purpose.

That Yellow Flower + Pest Control

Last week I showed a short video of a flower for you to identify:



ImaBurdie and Matron correctly said it was a Buddleia ; Jan and Keith gave the full description as it was from my Buddleia Globosa bush. Well done to you all.




This afternoon I have a pest control gent coming to eradicate a wasp nest in the back garden. I wouldn't worry too much if it was in the hedge or a tree but this nest is down at ground level where it would be possible for Penny to disturb it.

Early this year I bought a frog shelter which I installed next to the garden pond:



Yesterday I though I would have a look to see if anything was making use of it - frog, newt or possibly to get my first glimpse of a slow worm. Fortunately I approached slowly as the first thing I saw was a constant stream of wasps flying in and out.

 

The shelter is now surrounded by grass and occasionally Penny likes to chew the odd piece so the quicker the wasps are consigned to their after-life the better. Needless to say the above photo wasn't taken close up with the Lumix but from a distance with a zoom lens on the 50D!


Teatime:

Simon from East Lincs Pest Control, Louth getting ready and carrying out the deed:

     

Wings for Wednesday

Lots of winged insects about the garden and house at the moment.

A small Cranefly on the kitchen window.



One sunny day there were three Common Darter Dragonflies around the garden pond. All were males. One stayed for several hours and chased away any others which dared to make an appearance.





There continue to be Blue-tailed Damsel Flies from time to time which are still breeding.



I have a wasp nest under my front hedge so I don't hang about there. Occasionally one strays indoors where my rule is 'The only good wasp is a dead one'.




Also found dead in the kitchen was this which was about 6mm long.
Probably an ichneumon wasp though no idea which.



Back outdoors found several Greenbottles



and this black bee.



Not sure what type it is - a miner bee maybe.

Finally there were plenty of hoverflies doing their best to thwart me snapping one in flight.

Wings for Wednesday

There are two plants in the front garden which are attracting plenty of winged creatures at the moment. Lavender and Hibiscus.

Bees:




Hoverflies:




Flies:


Wasps:


Notice anything missing? Butterflies! Last year the lavender especially was a great attraction for butterflies. To date this year I haven't seen one on or near these plants.

All photographs were taken with the Lumix TZ7, usually with the lens within three inches of the insect. Not a problem with the bees and hoverflies but can be a bit fraught when it comes to wasps.

Median Wasp

At this time of year there are always wasps visiting the pond to drink but yesterday was the first time I had noticed this particular variety. A Median Wasp  -  Dolichovespula media. Common to much of Europe this is a relatively new species to Britain having appeared in the 1980s



Not the best of views but it wouldn't cooperate, always coming back to the same lily leaf and always facing the same way. For a good view showing the markings and shape hover over the thumbnail on this page on Garden Safari.

Adonis Ladybird and Other Insects

A large Ivy bush next to the front gate is swarming with insects at the moment. Among the species noticed were a couple of very small ladybirds. On searching they turned out to be Adonis Ladybirds. They are 4 to 5mm long and quite slim.



There were plenty of small wasps but I wasn't in a hurry to hold the Lumix camera a couple of inches away from them. Quite a rare sight in my garden was a small number of bees. Normally I only see bumble bees. So far I haven't been able to identify this one.



Sat in the middle of the largest orb web I have ever seen was this Garden Orb Spider, a real Humpty Dumpty of a body with a tiny head. The web was about 20 inches (50cm) across. The spider itself has beautiful markings. Size probably a little less than 20mm.




I was very pleased that this 40+mm  parasitic wasp was on the outside of the kitchen window.



Good job the 'tail' is an ovipositor and not a sting!  I think it is an Ichneumon Wasp.

Wall Butterfly and other wings.

Twice last week I saw a Southern Hawker dragonfly circling the pond. Every now and then it would disappear under the hedge next to the pond so I guess it was hunting for food. Unfortunately so far it hasn't settled for a photo session. While I was waiting, camera in hand, hoping for the dragonfly to land I spotted a butterfly on a flower. It was the first time I had seen any of the brown varieties in the garden so I took several shots before it disappeared.



I had to look up to see what had visited - A Wall Butterfly, Lasiommata megera. A female I think judging by the tiny white spot near the front wing tip.

During our afternoon walk yesterday I was lucky enough to capture a shot of a Common Darter dragonfly as it rested.



There are still plenty of bumble bees in the front garden. They are now spoilt for choice. Not only do they have the lavender plants but also the hibiscus which has come into flower.



Also being attracted are a few of the local wasps.



Visiting bird numbers are well down recently. They are able to find plenty of natural food. At least it means that my seed stock is lasting a decent time.

Insect Vandals

Do you get damage to your wooden posts and fence panels? Do you see lighter coloured stripes on darker wood like these?



On a quiet, still Summers day you may hear a distinct scraping sound. More than likely it will be one of these helping itself to some of your wood.



I have often heard and seen wasps stripping the top layer of wood fibres to turn into a pulp which they use to build their nests. They seem to use the same few favoured spots and in the past I could see where my old oak fence had been thinned over the thirty years it had been in place.

Recently I have seen bumble bees apparently resting on fence panels in the Sun and assumed they were resting and warming up but this morning as I watched one buff tailed bumblebee I got the impression it was also gathering wood fibres.



I though I could hear it scraping at the surface but that may have been my imagination as there was a lot of background noise at the time and the wood is too new to see any evidence.