[Misc] Ladybirds... where are they?

[AmexRuislip]

I can well imagine. It's been bad enough in my own patch of garden, trying to avoid saying bye bye to my begonias and farewell to the fresias.

In the garden we've done the Chelsea chop to plants that have wilted somewhat, to give them a chance and a damn good watering.

 

[Jackthelad]

I keep seeing these small Black Bugs with wings they don't seem to fly much but have a really hard shell near impossible to kill, I have no clue what they are but they love net curtain.

 

[Two Professors]

Plenty of ladybirds up here,but well outnumbered by cabbage whites and wasps.Some Red Admirals and pale blue moths?,and more dragon flies than I've seen for years.

 

[Igzilla]

My clearest memory of the last significant "heatwave" in Sussex (1976) is of ladybirds carpeting lawns and the promenades...

Anyone know why they haven't appeared this time round?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

This. Basically in 1976 the aphid population crashed June/July as all the plants they fed on had matured way too early. Thus ladybirds went hungry and swarmed to find new food sources.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35603972

 

[Worried Man Blues]

I'm thinking of getting a bee hive so a quick few questions if I may - does it matter wasps are in there ? Do they attack the bees ? How do you get rid of them ?

Sorry for the delay, been to Sussex! Bees are the wife's but what I know, it's bad for wasps to be in there they can kill the bees and take the honey. She was advised to take the hive three miles plus away from the house as wasps have a certain radius from their nest of obviously less than 3 miles. Keeping bees seems extremely difficult she has lost a few colonies and has just had a Queen posted as she thinks the wasps killed the last one. I would suggest join a local club of experienced keepers although most seem to struggle. We couldn't keep them at one house as the neighbours complained, the little buggers attack me regularly, as do horse flies etc, but that doesn't seem to bother the mrs that much..........

 

[vegster]

Plenty of Blackfly all over my beans for the last 2 months. Only recently have I started seeing Ladybirds and their larvae, now there are quite a few and they are getting big very quickly.

Expect the plague in a few weeks.

 

[DumLum]

No idea. Haven't seen hardly any wasps either

These yellow striped dickheads have decided to make an appearance over the last week I've noticed.

 

[Stat Brother]

I'm seeing a pooh load of dragonflies, really big ones.

 

[vegster]

I'm seeing a pooh load of dragonflies, really big ones.

The ones that look green and look like the Mekon ? absolutely awesome !

 

[vegster]

Loads of mixed Ladybirds on my beans now...… strangely, very few Aphids now ?

 

[Worried Man Blues]

This week end just started to see Red Admiral, Painted lady, tortoiseshell and loads of waspzzzz

 

[portslade seagull]

Just seen a load in my Apple tree feeding on the aphids

 

[seagull_special]

Hundreds at the windmill, Westdene last night.