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Flies can fk off. Especially flies that are bigger than onions.
Stefan Moore, Stefan Moore running down the wing. Stefan Moore, Stefan Moore running down the wing. He runs like a cheetah, his crosses couldn't be sweeter. Stefan Moore. Stefan Moore. Stefan Moore.
We've got flies the size of small beagles each armed with a proboscis containing multiple rows of teeth which can exsanguinate a bull elephant in thirty seconds flat. You can sense them gathering in the apex of the roof,multi faceted eyes glinting in anticipation as you get out The Cheese Board.There is an faint chorus of Ride of the Valkyries as they in single file perform a perfect Cuban Loop to coalesce into a classic V formation and swoop down at barely subsonic speed upon The Vintage Cheddar. Nothing can stop them. Watch the skies...keep watching the skies!
Having just read a book about insects by Professor Dave Goulson of Sussex University, I am in a position to regale you with some fly-related facts: - There are around 240,000 known species of fly, that's roughly one fifth of all known earthly lifeforms - Houseflies are capable of spreading more than 100 human diseases, including polio, cholera and typhoid - Theoretically, one female housefly could in eight weeks give rise to 7bn more houseflies - but - relax, reader - cold weather, disease and predators prevent such an insect apocalypse occurring. Phew!
"Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1."
Having just read a book about insects by Professor Dave Goulson of Sussex University, I am in a position to regale you with some fly-related facts: - There are around 240,000 known species of fly, that's roughly one fifth of all known earthly lifeforms - Houseflies are capable of spreading more than 100 human diseases, including polio, cholera and typhoid - Theoretically, one female housefly could in eight weeks give rise to 7bn more houseflies - but - relax, reader - cold weather, disease and predators prevent such an insect apocalypse occurring. Phew!
The Manx word for horsefly - and we have a lot of them - is croaghan, pronounced crogan, which sounds like an evil race from star trek and gives them proper status. I have a sixth sense for them these days, they rarely get me but I get lots of them!
Dave Goulson, on the other hand, is one of my few heroes.
Wasps, I don't mind the occasional wasp buzzing around my garden because they are ferocious eaters of bloody aphids that have so far infested my many rose bushes twice, I've only seen one wasp so far and the stupid bastard was going In and out of my insect hotel quite happily eating the hotel residents the complete and utter bastard.
Twice I've sprayed my roses If anybody Is interested and twice the aphids have come back.
Bastards.
My Father had a profound influence on me, he was a lunatic.
Wasps, I don't mind the occasional wasp buzzing around my garden because they are ferocious eaters of bloody aphids that have so far infested my many rose bushes twice, I've only seen one wasp so far and the stupid bastard was going In and out of my insect hotel quite happily eating the hotel residents the complete and utter bastard.
Twice I've sprayed my roses If anybody Is interested and twice the aphids have come back.
Bastards.
Ted, have you tried spraying with a fairy liquid water mix? Working for us, so far, but you have to keep at it. Roses are hard work.
Ted, have you tried spraying with a fairy liquid water mix? Working for us, so far, but you have to keep at it. Roses are hard work.
We do that method initially every year Mick but never with any notable success, we've had to take the run of the mill option and use a rose clear spray aerosol which so far has been successful and they are now aphid & bug clear, although this Is the second infestation since the first week of May which Is a bit odd and a first. Front and back garden I've got 15 rose bushes so plenty to do but worth It.
My Father had a profound influence on me, he was a lunatic.
Wasps, I don't mind the occasional wasp buzzing around my garden because they are ferocious eaters of bloody aphids that have so far infested my many rose bushes twice, I've only seen one wasp so far and the stupid bastard was going In and out of my insect hotel quite happily eating the hotel residents the complete and utter bastard.
Twice I've sprayed my roses If anybody Is interested and twice the aphids have come back.
Bastards.
Roses are red Violets are blue. Ted hates Reading ..and f*cking aphids too!
We do that method initially every year Mick but never with any notable success, we've had to take the run of the mill option and use a rose clear spray aerosol which so far has been successful and they are now aphid & bug clear, although this Is the second infestation since the first week of May which Is a bit odd and a first. Front and back garden I've got 15 rose bushes so plenty to do but worth It.
I've had a similar problem with my roses this year, I was trying to find a way to kill the aphids and read somewhere that they have a mutual understanding with ants where they protect aphids because they provide them with food somehow. So I treated the aphids and ants at the same time and seemed to have better results. Hope that helps.
In terms of fly's, having 4 chickens defecating in the garden makes it a nightmare for fly's, so we have traps up the back of the garden. Effective but they're disgusting to empty.
Wasps, I don't mind the occasional wasp buzzing around my garden because they are ferocious eaters of bloody aphids that have so far infested my many rose bushes twice, I've only seen one wasp so far and the stupid bastard was going In and out of my insect hotel quite happily eating the hotel residents the complete and utter bastard.
Twice I've sprayed my roses If anybody Is interested and twice the aphids have come back.
Bastards.
I've no idea if this works but here is a natural approach to aphid control I recently read about:
"Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1."
I've had a similar problem with my roses this year, I was trying to find a way to kill the aphids and read somewhere that they have a mutual understanding with ants where they protect aphids because they provide them with food somehow. So I treated the aphids and ants at the same time and seemed to have better results. Hope that helps.
In terms of fly's, having 4 chickens defecating in the garden makes it a nightmare for fly's, so we have traps up the back of the garden. Effective but they're disgusting to empty.
Ants will 'farm' aphids, moving them about and protecting them, in order to harvest the honey dew the aphids secrete. Nature is wonderful! I'm a professional gardener, I use a bit of weed killer now again (if I have a larger area to spray out, I strim it back a week ahead to try and ensure there is nothing flowering in the area to be hit), but refuse to use pesticides or slug pellets. Nature normally finds the balance, but predators are low in numbers, at the moment, possibly due to the late spring. But,by using pesticides, you are, of course, killing off beneficial insects as well, and pest numbers will recover quicker then predator numbers, creating a self-fulfilling need to wage chemical warfare in your garden. Jim's idea of treating the aphids and ants together is a good one. I favour making an insect picnic and then maybe showing them a little film about the harm they can do to my roses.
Ants will 'farm' aphids, moving them about and protecting them, in order to harvest the honey dew the aphids secrete. Nature is wonderful! I'm a professional gardener, I use a bit of weed killer now again (if I have a larger area to spray out, I strim it back a week ahead to try and ensure there is nothing flowering in the area to be hit), but refuse to use pesticides or slug pellets. Nature normally finds the balance, but predators are low in numbers, at the moment, possibly due to the late spring. But,by using pesticides, you are, of course, killing off beneficial insects as well, and pest numbers will recover quicker then predator numbers, creating a self-fulfilling need to wage chemical warfare in your garden. Jim's idea of treating the aphids and ants together is a good one. I favour making an insect picnic and then maybe showing them a little film about the harm they can do to my roses.
I only really use rose clear because we inherited a load of roses with the garden and added a few extra ourselves, so when they look bad it's quite obvious. Use bait stations for the ants but I kind of assume that only ants would go in those.
Lost a box tree last summer to caterpillars which was annoying and lose a lot of apples and pears bugs but the chickens can have them, so we don't mind that. Noticed snails destroying a cordyline in the front garden last week but managed to solve that with a bit of pruning/removing the pests and some copper mesh around the stem.
I only really use rose clear because we inherited a load of roses with the garden and added a few extra ourselves, so when they look bad it's quite obvious. Use bait stations for the ants but I kind of assume that only ants would go in those.
Lost a box tree last summer to caterpillars which was annoying and lose a lot of apples and pears bugs but the chickens can have them, so we don't mind that. Noticed snails destroying a cordyline in the front garden last week but managed to solve that with a bit of pruning/removing the pests and some copper mesh around the stem.
"Lost a box tree last summer to caterpillars which was annoying".
You, sir, have more than likely had an encounter with an invasive species: The box tree moth.
I'm really interested in butterflies and moths and garden for wildlife. About three years ago, I spotted one of these in my garden: Initially, I was excited because I had never seen one before and it is quite a striking creature. So, I consulted my guide to European moths and butterflies and that's when things got interested: It wasn't in there.
Eventually, I discovered that it was a box tree moth. I only had one small box shrub but soon, it was overrun with caterpillars and the blighters quickly turned my shrub into a husk. Luckily, some other insects but also certain bats and birds will eat them. Chemical and biological controls are available but chemical controls (e.g. insecticides) can harm pollinators.
"Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1."
I was reading 'The Other Side of History by Frederik van Zyl Slabbert' on a veranda in SA when I heard this buzzing and looked to my right and was this African Hornet (or maybe a giant wasp) hovering about a metre away. 'Kin hell those things are HUGE, the stinger looked like a needle that you thread with.
I very slowly moved myself to indoor safety until it got bored and ventured forth once more but after that I just ignore our wasps.
Beer and Beef has made us what we are - The Prince Regent
Ants will 'farm' aphids, moving them about and protecting them, in order to harvest the honey dew the aphids secrete. Nature is wonderful! I'm a professional gardener, I use a bit of weed killer now again (if I have a larger area to spray out, I strim it back a week ahead to try and ensure there is nothing flowering in the area to be hit), but refuse to use pesticides or slug pellets. Nature normally finds the balance, but predators are low in numbers, at the moment, possibly due to the late spring. But,by using pesticides, you are, of course, killing off beneficial insects as well, and pest numbers will recover quicker then predator numbers, creating a self-fulfilling need to wage chemical warfare in your garden. Jim's idea of treating the aphids and ants together is a good one. I favour making an insect picnic and then maybe showing them a little film about the harm they can do to my roses.
Well I'm bloody gutted me roses are infected yet again (not all of them but about 50% of them) now I've never experienced this before not on this scale anyway.
Bloody hell fire. (BTW) a couple of years ago I noticed one evening my French beans (about 6 foot tall and with young beans already formed) infested right out of the blue, I immediately sprayed them with a water/washing up liquid and by the following evening the whole plant was destroyed.
Cant give up I know but sometimes It can be very frustrating as well as rewarding.
Anyway I've got jobs to do In the garden.
My Father had a profound influence on me, he was a lunatic.
Well I'm bloody gutted me roses are infected yet again (not all of them but about 50% of them) now I've never experienced this before not on this scale anyway.
Bloody hell fire. (BTW) a couple of years ago I noticed one evening my French beans (about 6 foot tall and with young beans already formed) infested right out of the blue, I immediately sprayed them with a water/washing up liquid and by the following evening the whole plant was destroyed.
Cant give up I know but sometimes It can be very frustrating as well as rewarding.
Anyway I've got jobs to do In the garden.
yeah, the predators are very slow out of the blocks this year, and, because they are slower to build up in numbers then their prey, spraying with insecticides can exacerbate the problem. Anyway, I'm expecting to see a giant f'cking aphid interviewed on newsnight soon...
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