Wildlife and Gardens Thread

[Lillehamring]

I've been working in our new garden all summer (we moved in in september, but we have snow from october to may) and it's proving to be a real challenge.

We're lucky that we're very south facing, but equally very exposed, and being so far north there are massive limits on what pants we can have (H5 ish), the garden spreads over three tiers and we have a small farm track that clips the corner.

The soil seems ok, but full of rocks; and the rock is different but is already full of succulents from previous times.

 

The previous owners did very little and some parts are wild and overgrown, and there were very few flowers and bushes - though there are masses of wild flowers where we've let the grass grow.; sadly little in the way of mature trees - a really nice Rowan and some youngish Birches.

 

The worst thing is mowing the grass, it's too much to do with a conventional mower, but too intricate and problematic and not really large enough to justify a tractor mower.  So the likelihood is less lawn, more beds - which will keep the missus (a florist) happy.

 

 

[Bilsthorpe Blue]

Swallows semi fledged but don't do rain

[Bilsthorpe Blue]

Meet Dottie our miniature shetland, she doesn't do rain either 

[Countryfox]

2 hours ago, Bilsthorpe Blue said:

Meet Dottie our miniature shetland, she doesn't do rain either 

Err ..  is that a horse ..  inside your house ..  does she watch the tv with you ? ..   what’s her favourite programme ? ..  

[Bilsthorpe Blue]

3 minutes ago, Countryfox said:

Err ..  is that a horse ..  inside your house ..  does she watch the tv with you ? ..   what’s her favourite programme ? ..  

Ha ha, she is normally in her paddock but we let her roam when it's raining so wanders in from time to time, she's not much bigger than our labs, she said her favourite programme is  countryfile 😁

[Parafox]

4 hours ago, Bilsthorpe Blue said:

Meet Dottie our miniature shetland, she doesn't do rain either 

 

2 hours ago, Countryfox said:

Err ..  is that a horse ..  inside your house ..  does she watch the tv with you ? ..   what’s her favourite programme ? ..  

 

2 hours ago, Bilsthorpe Blue said:

Ha ha, she is normally in her paddock but we let her roam when it's raining so wanders in from time to time, she's not much bigger than our labs, she said her favourite programme is  countryfile 😁

Looks like she's given birth to a dog 

[Rain King]

The newts have departed our pond for the  year and it seemed a bit lifeless for a couple of days before this fella turned up.

 

Pond looks a bit of a state, neighbour decided to cut his conifers with the debris falling into my garden.

 

Edited 14 September 2023 by Rain King

[Milo]

We’ve got weird ground bees in the garden.  
 

Hundreds of them - they seem to have made a number of nests in the lawn. 
 

And they need to go. We’ve tried smoke/citronella/peppermint spray/vinegar but no joy. 
 

Anyone ever had them and managed to get rid? 

[Grebfromgrebland]

Let them live they'll be gone soon probably anyway after they've reproduced.

[Parafox]

20 hours ago, Milo said:

We’ve got weird ground bees in the garden.  
 

Hundreds of them - they seem to have made a number of nests in the lawn. 
 

And they need to go. We’ve tried smoke/citronella/peppermint spray/vinegar but no joy. 
 

Anyone ever had them and managed to get rid? 

 

20 hours ago, Grebfromgrebland said:

Let them live they'll be gone soon probably anyway after they've reproduced.

 

This sounds like they are miner bees. Harmless. The burrow into soil and sometimes mortar, but they always move on once the young have been born. They never swarm and they don't pose any risk.

 

They're just using your garden as a maternity unit for now. 

Edited 15 September 2023 by Parafox

[Milo]

1 hour ago, Parafox said:

 

 

This sounds like they are miner bees. Harmless. The burrow into soil and sometimes mortar, but they always move on once the young have been born. They never swarm and they don't pose any risk.

 

They're just using your garden as a maternity unit for now. 

It’s a huge problem though, as they have taken over the back lawn. 
 

Harmless, maybe. But the kids can’t go outside and play in the garden due to the hundreds of bees there. 

We can’t use the lawn - and they’re spreading. 
 

Not ideal. 

[jgtuk]

https://www.pestinterceptors.co.uk/bumblebees
Killing 100's of innocent bumble bees is pretty much always illegal

 

To cut a long story short, euthanising or killing a Bumble bee colony can only legally be carried out if NO other option is available. There is ALWAYS another option. Killing 100's of innocent Bumble bees is pretty much ALWAYS ILLEGAL. 

[Milo]

On 16/09/2023 at 16:11, jgtuk said:

https://www.pestinterceptors.co.uk/bumblebees
Killing 100's of innocent bumble bees is pretty much always illegal

 

To cut a long story short, euthanising or killing a Bumble bee colony can only legally be carried out if NO other option is available. There is ALWAYS another option. Killing 100's of innocent Bumble bees is pretty much ALWAYS ILLEGAL. 

They’re not bumble bees 

[Foxdiamond]

20 minutes ago, Milo said:

They’re not bumble bees 

Have you read the articles on miner bees. Would be a shame to harm them

[Milo]

Well I don’t particularly want to kill them. 
 

But they’ve taken up a huge amount of back garden which we now can’t use. 
 

I have to wade through them to get from the house to my office. The kids don’t go out in the garden now. 
 

Even in the last week they’ve probably trebled in numbers and amount of lawn takeover. 
 

It’s really not good. 

[Izzy]

40 minutes ago, Milo said:

Well I don’t particularly want to kill them. 
 

But they’ve taken up a huge amount of back garden which we now can’t use. 
 

I have to wade through them to get from the house to my office. The kids don’t go out in the garden now. 
 

Even in the last week they’ve probably trebled in numbers and amount of lawn takeover. 
 

It’s really not good. 

Can't you just get a local pest control expert to come out and sort it mate?

 

I bet they deal with this sort of thing daily. Can't imagine it would cost too much?

 

Edited 18 September 2023 by Izzy

[jgtuk]

15 hours ago, Milo said:

They’re not bumble bees 

Same rule applies.

Why not introduce your kids to them, educate them by identifying the bees (almost definitely a mining bee) and explain their lifecycle etc. Show them that you can aproach and observe them without fear.

 

I don't understand the constant fear and persecution of flying insects which are, on the whole, a huge benefit to us.

[jgtuk]

11 hours ago, Izzy said:

Can't you just get a local pest control expert to come out and sort it mate?

 

I bet they deal with this sort of thing daily. Can't imagine it would cost too much?

 

They're not pests. Any pest controller worth his salt will tell you to leave them alone as they are pretty harmless and will naturally decrease in numbers very soon.

 

[Izzy]

24 minutes ago, jgtuk said:

They're not pests. Any pest controller worth his salt will tell you to leave them alone as they are pretty harmless and will naturally decrease in numbers very soon.

 

If they’re not pests, why do pest control websites say they’ll deal with the removal of bees?

[Foxdiamond]

11 minutes ago, Izzy said:

If they’re not pests, why do pest control websites say they’ll deal with the removal of 

As creatures they are enormously beneficial for nature and us. Only the inconvenience as to their location near our living space causes concern. The term pest is simply a cover all description. 

[jgtuk]

4 hours ago, Izzy said:

If they’re not pests, why do pest control websites say they’ll deal with the removal of bees?

It's mainly to cover Honey Bees which swarm as part of their reproduction cycle - they will quite often try to set up home in your porch, garage, loft or such like. They are also much greater in number (10's of thousands normally) and can get a bit stingy if provoked.

Most other bees in the UK (Bumblebees, Mason Bees, Mining Bees etc.) are much less likely to sting, mostly go around doing their own thing without causing harm.

I've had a Badger build a sett in my garden - digs up the turf, uproots plants and leaves pungent latrines in the borders. I don't want to poison, kill or maim it/them (three youngsters appeared in the spring). I'm not trying to be an arse about it, it's just that there must always be a way (humane) to deal with these things or we end up with a barren planet. 

 

[Milo]

39 minutes ago, jgtuk said:

It's mainly to cover Honey Bees which swarm as part of their reproduction cycle - they will quite often try to set up home in your porch, garage, loft or such like. They are also much greater in number (10's of thousands normally) and can get a bit stingy if provoked.

Most other bees in the UK (Bumblebees, Mason Bees, Mining Bees etc.) are much less likely to sting, mostly go around doing their own thing without causing harm.

I've had a Badger build a sett in my garden - digs up the turf, uproots plants and leaves pungent latrines in the borders. I don't want to poison, kill or maim it/them (three youngsters appeared in the spring). I'm not trying to be an arse about it, it's just that there must always be a way (humane) to deal with these things or we end up with a barren planet. 

 

Well I’ve tried most of the more natural ways of discouraging them. 
 

Peppermint misters, sprinklers, vinegar and water sprays - all designed to encourage them to set up camp elsewhere. 
 

We had a few last year and they were no real bother. I’ve just been and counted the little mini volcanoes that they create in the garden…and it’s well over 2 hundred now. Each of these is a nest. 
 

This is now out of control - even over the past week they’ve massively increased from a corner of the back garden to over half of it. 
 

Which is why I asked originally if anyone has experience of getting rid of them, which includes getting them to move somewhere else. 
 

I’m happy to accept any suggestion…but leaving them to take over the garden isn’t really workable for me. 

[Suzie the Fox]

2 hours ago, Milo said:

Well I’ve tried most of the more natural ways of discouraging them. 
 

Peppermint misters, sprinklers, vinegar and water sprays - all designed to encourage them to set up camp elsewhere. 
 

We had a few last year and they were no real bother. I’ve just been and counted the little mini volcanoes that they create in the garden…and it’s well over 2 hundred now. Each of these is a nest. 
 

This is now out of control - even over the past week they’ve massively increased from a corner of the back garden to over half of it. 
 

Which is why I asked originally if anyone has experience of getting rid of them, which includes getting them to move somewhere else. 
 

I’m happy to accept any suggestion…but leaving them to take over the garden isn’t really workable for me. 

Could give these guys a call, i'm sure they will be able to help. 

 

https://www.pestwayservices.co.uk/bee-control-leicestershire.php

 

Edit to add;- If you not in Leicester then just google a site closer to you  

Edited 19 September 2023 by Suzie the Fox

[FoxesDeb]

3 hours ago, Milo said:

Well I’ve tried most of the more natural ways of discouraging them. 
 

Peppermint misters, sprinklers, vinegar and water sprays - all designed to encourage them to set up camp elsewhere. 
 

We had a few last year and they were no real bother. I’ve just been and counted the little mini volcanoes that they create in the garden…and it’s well over 2 hundred now. Each of these is a nest. 
 

This is now out of control - even over the past week they’ve massively increased from a corner of the back garden to over half of it. 
 

Which is why I asked originally if anyone has experience of getting rid of them, which includes getting them to move somewhere else. 
 

I’m happy to accept any suggestion…but leaving them to take over the garden isn’t really workable for me. 

I think they will move themselves pretty soon, so I'd be inclined to just let them do their thing.

[Milo]

19 minutes ago, FoxesDeb said:

I think they will move themselves pretty soon, so I'd be inclined to just let them do their thing.

Honestly, Debs, I’m not too worried about this year, as the summer is pretty much over - but they’ve very much set up home with hundreds of nests and will be back with a vengeance next year…which is what I really want to discourage.