Butterflies and Bees

Wibbles

Anyone else noticed a severe lack of our flying friends this year ?

We've got a butterfly bush (Buddleja) in the garden - normally swarming with insects this time of year on sunny days - this year, I've seen none even a few weeks ago - when it was warmer and sunny….

Albus_Scope

Unfortunately the weather has been so changeable this year, many insects came out of dormancy early when it got unusually warm, then got hit by the cold spell shortly after. 😥

66Mustang

I’ve seen lots of struggling bees on the ground

We gave one a flower to help it get some energy and it crawled inside, it was quite cute 🙃

Albus_Scope

Thank you for helping the lil lady @66Mustang 😁 Have you seen the little necklaces you can get now, with a little bit of sugar water in a vial, so you'll always have a bee first aid kit available? They're very cute.

Jimm_Scope

We had a load of bees in May because of the nice weather, they loved our raspberry vines.

Since the cold weather in early June I've hardly seen any sadly.

66Mustang

I have seen them @Albus_Scope!! 🙂

I don't know if we are due any this year but every 5 years or so there's a certain type of beetle that lives underground, and they are quite large. They are called cockchafer beetles and when they come up from the surface they are quite angry and disorientated and tend to just dive bomb people. It's not nice if you are having a BBQ or something and aren't too good with larger insects 🙁

For me there is a certain size where insects/spiders go from being completely no problem, to too big and they scare me, there's no "grey area", there just seems to be a cut-off point 🙄 😆

JW77

There's been a vid shared by PAN UK recently (sorry can't do anything about annoying ads!)

We need to keep providing habitat. And if inclined campaigning for better mass changes to benefit all life.

I def noticed a decline over the past 20 or 30 years. Less 'splatter' on the windscreen too. That I used to get when I was motorway driving a fair bit.
Lighting security is def one. Even the 'low energy green' LED street lights aren't that great. But my 10 buddlia usually do have a LOT more life on them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io96wApYgRQ

Rachel_Scope

Hi @JW77 😊

Thanks for the posting the video, it's very informative. I totally agree that we should do more to build habitats for them. I worked in schools until recently and we heavily promoted building bug hotels and building habitats for all the minibeasts in the garden. The children absolutely loved it!

OverlyAnxious

I've had loads of flying ants indoors over the past couple of weeks. Fortunately they're always on the window so easy to spot & remove but I can't find where they're getting in!

I have seen (and heard!) plenty of bees, but now you mention it, I can't remember seeing a single butterfly so far this year. 😐️

Albus_Scope

Oooooh, yeah it'll be time for the ants' nuptial flights. They usually happen on a sunny day with plenty of humidity, so after the rains recently, it'll be the perfect time. Good luck to all the princesses and new baby queen ants!

Cantilip

@66Mustang I have that about size too. I have two or three spider residents in the corners of the windows but they're all absolutely tiny and don't worry me. In the 8 years I've been here in Brighton I've never seen a big one. I did read somewhere that chalk repels spiders and I wonder if being on chalkland comes into it.

Wibbles

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/884989#Comment_884989

I don't know about chalk but Conkers definitely do not deter spiders - round here, they simply knock the conkers out of the way and continue to stamp their way around the house…

Here's proof :

Cantilip

@Wibbles Peppermint, spraying with peppermint oil, is another supposed deterrent. Have you tried it?

Wibbles

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/885041#Comment_885041

No I haven't - I may give that a try - this "spider season"

Cantilip

Little anecdote connected to all this. Couple of summers ago I was peacefully reading. There were some guys working in the street and suddenly there was a string of expletives followed by, "That is the biggest spider I have ever seen in my life!" Uhhh, think I! I have large old furniture, perfect for spiders to run under and be completely inaccessible. Just stay outside, dear spider, that is all I ask….Let me encourage you not to come in. I sprayed with peppermint. Since as I've said I personally have never seen any big spiders around here anyway I have no idea if it worked but to my relief I remain a spider-free zone.

Wibbles

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/885246#Comment_885246

During the day perhaps?

At night they all come out and run across your face

Especially the huge hairy ones!!

Cantilip

Too much of a night owl for that. Look out of the window at 3 am and see a huge dog-fox prowling around hoping for an exposed bin. Biggest danger in my neck of the woods is probably leaving a chicken carcass exposed,

Jimm_Scope

My cat hunts spiders, if they're up on the wall or ceiling she will stare up at them and just meow at them over and over again. I wonder if she's hoping they'll come down if she meows enough.

Strawberry1

I've hardly seen any butterflies or Bees . Such a real shame. Wishing this wasn't the case .

Wibbles

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/886170#Comment_886170

"Climate change" ?

I won't say Global Warming - since we are still waiting for summer

Albus_Scope

Unfortunately global warming does mean things will get a lot wetter as the ice caps melt and the cross winds get blown out of whack. Climate change is definitely the more apt name!