allotmentsnstuff

moonbells · Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 12:39 pm Post subject: Harlequins

Well that's depressing Sad

. Last Saturday I saw one of these beasties in the car park at the nursery I went to (it was very squashed). Today I find another one on the lonicera nitida by my front gate, and managed to catch it.

Mutter, grumble. Sad

It's awfully tempting to let it go in the conservatory, which currently has an aphid explosion that soft soap isn't touching Sad

but I don't want to run the risk of getting millions of the things breeding in there and escaping.

Humph.

moonbells

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redimp · Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 12:47 pm Post subject:

There was an article on Today on Friday or Thursday - they are becoming endemic in the South & East, and are appearing as far north as Yorkshirew. Bloke said that they were introduced into US ten years ago, and five years later were the most common species of Ladybird. It is a real and urgent risk that they will virtually wip out our native species of ladybird, hoverflies, lacewings - in fact anything else that preys on aphids. A solution needs to be found and it needs to be found urgently. Sad

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moonbells · Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 12:55 pm Post subject:

Yes they really are voracious little b's. I have looked closely at every large ladybird I've seen for several months, so it's kind of a habit now. I guess you could all teach your kids what to look for and run 5p rewards for each corpse returned!!!

This one is still crawling about the beer glass I stuck over it. I added a chilli leaf that's covered in aphids - sort of the condemned bug's last meal. I also want to see if it eats them all, and how fast. Once a scientist... I guess I'll give it the boot tomorrow.

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if you see one! Though they like to have confirmation too ie a digipic or the actual insect.

moonbells

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redimp · Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 12:59 pm Post subject:

Oooh, if I see one, I will have no problem sending it to them - and I kill very little.

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moonbells · Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 1:03 pm Post subject:

Heh - they say they'd like them alive if you're going to send them the actual bug!!!

Trouble is, film canisters aren't that common these days... perhaps I should go to Boots or Supasnaps and ask them if I can have some!

mb

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wardy · Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 1:45 pm Post subject:

Have a rummage MB - there's bound to be some in your drawers somewhere Very Happy

moonbells · Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:20 pm Post subject:

Oi! Leave my drawers out of this!

(the lace'll catch...)

mb Laughing

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wardy · Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:34 pm Post subject:

You mean t'elastic Very Happy

So did you find any Smile

moonbells · Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:42 pm Post subject:

Haven't looked yet.

Phoned parents and me mum's now got flipping kidney problems... argh... probably due to the diabetes. And her not drinking very much (lucky if she drinks a pint a day let alone the three litres they recommend!)

*SIGH* me hubby occasionally phones her and says DRINK SOMETHING so she can't say she wasn't warned...

Heck, hope I'm not that stubborn when I'm 75. If I get that far!

moonbells

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green2 · Prince Charming Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 920

Just read this properly, moonbeam ladybirds dont eat as many fly as the larve do, so i read several times thier own wieght in green fly ( they are called niggers btw and its not being racist Dianne has had the pc lot on to her at work over it), so let the thing have babies then see how good it is! Laughing

wardy · Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:51 pm Post subject:

My old ma took on an allotment when she was 75 Very Happy

She used to like to grow roses on it Very Happy

She had no health problems til she got Alzheimers and then she stayed fit and healthy til the caring agencies got their mitts on her and took her off to have her head examined. While in their care she fell and broke her hip and died in hospital about four months later Sad

moonbells · Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 3:25 pm Post subject:

OH wardy.

*hug* that was tragic.

moonbells

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daveandtara · Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 8:40 pm Post subject:

moonbells wrote:

Trouble is, film canisters aren't that common these days...
mb

tic tac boxes are pretty good Very Happy

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gormless · Doc Joined: 22 Jan 2006 Posts: 644

or any chemist shop pill boxes owt like that just make sure no white powder is left in em they will have a fitt if any one sees the stuff Shocked

reedos · Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 6:48 am Post subject:

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You might want to tell this lot about it MB Very Happy

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moonbells · Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 11:57 am Post subject:

Oh, I have been on to them a lot recently, thanks Reedos. Have almost given up reporting the beggars, I've seen so many.

Went to a smallholding in Surrey for tea in a tree house Smile

the other weekend with friends and the treehouse was literally crawling with them.

The folk in the shop had no idea... but were talking about fumigating it after I explained what they were! (The fact they bite and the house gets children in it was enough to spur that on, I suspect)

moonbells

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Flowerlady · Joined: 15 Jan 2006 Posts: 3336 Location: Herts

Think I have these critters Sad

... got sample in jar about to hatch ... now what ? Confused

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I love my vegetable garden. So here is my sad ballad: I nurtured it for months, And ate it in one salad!