with swarms of little black aphid-like bugs. The air is thick with them here and they are covering any brightly coloured surface. Absolutely horrible.
Never seen this many before swarming like this...is this a local phenomena or are other folk affected?
Hello Captain,
Im fairly local, and we have been swarmed by green fly!!!!
Where are the Ants when you need them?
P.S the good news is that we have also been visited by lots of bumble bee's, good news in my books! :thumbsup:
Quote from: owl729 on July 03, 2011, 07:02:18 PM
Hello Captain,
Where are the Ants when you need them?
Staging a takeover bid for our garden. Even our ant nests seem to have ant nests on top of them >:(
We've got ants swarming all over the place, as well. All the big flying ones have decided to take off for pastures new.
Greenfly, flying ants...I'm staying indoors. :thumbsdown:
We need more Spiders!!! ( On Behalf of Mrs OwL, as much as this hurts me to say)
Decreasing numbers of birds is resulting in an increasing number of insects
Give it a few weeks and expect to see an increased number of spider webs
Quote from: mjkerr on July 03, 2011, 07:40:20 PM
Decreasing numbers of birds is resulting in an increasing number of insects
Give it a few weeks and expect to see an increased number of spider webs
Quite a few INSECTS around here lately methinks? :smiley-laughing: Like you say, not enough birds around.
Quote from: mjkerr on July 03, 2011, 07:40:20 PM
Decreasing numbers of birds is resulting in an increasing number of insects
Give it a few weeks and expect to see an increased number of spider webs
I seem to remember the RSPB doing a thing a year or two back about counting the number of bugs on your car number plate, somehow they could work out the number of birds around by the number of bugs.
I have noticed quite a decrease in bird numbers in the garden, though that may have something to do with our 9 month old tabby ;D
Well my garden is full of ducks !! They have had about six clutches already this year and the pond is full of them. We need more foxes to keep them at bay, or a shotgun even !! :evil:
No bugs around here though even if I am only 20 miles from captainfantastic.
I've noted dramatic drops in certain types of birds
The obvious one for me is the Starling, although recently have noticed a slight increase, used to see them above Glasgow Central station in the evenings but haven't seen that for years now
Next is the Seagull
Fish ports and city centres used to be overrun with them, again their numbers exploded in about 15 years ago, partially filling the gap left by the Starling, however the reduction in offshore fishing forced many inland, and it was calculated about two thirds of the population perished
The more common garden visiting birds have also fallen in numbers
I tend to now only see Blackbirds, Robin, Sparrow, and Magpie
I have not seen any of the others I would have expected for several years now, such as House Martin, Thrush, and so on
Then we have the absurd
Some areas have reintroduced birds of prey, but you can really only do this if the existing bird populations are sustainable
We then end up with both ends of the spectrum; birds of prey and insects
Last time I checked these birds don't tend to eat insects...
Going to have to argue with you on the seagull one, absolute bloody nuisance if you live on the coast like we do and I'm sure they are getting bigger, gorging themselves on discard big macs and fish suppers, there has certainly been no (obvious) decline up the Fife / Tayside coast.
And they will actually attack people for food, St Andrews & Anstruther are two of the worse places.
I enjoy the birds in the garden, we have a family of blackbirds who live in our loft, every year for the last four years they have come back to lay and rear their young and it is nice to see.
But not seagulls I'm afraid, now if I had a gun :evil:
The England I remember in the 1940'50s never had problems like that but where I live in Australia we have plagues of Locusts, Mice, Mosquitos, Sand Flies, Red Back Spiders Cockroaches and Ghecko Lizards.
You can end up with itchy lumps, poisonous spider bites, creepy crawly things that walk up the walls or crawl across the floor maybe a snake bite that will kill you and so on, why not come over for a holiday. ;D ;D ;D
Think they mentioned lots of greenfly/blackfly at Wimbledon today.
Can't say I've seen any swallows this year. They like insects. Not many sparrows about. Crows seem to be doing well, but then they chase cats. Pigeon numbers have gone down since they put windows on our balconies. Nowhere for them to nest now. There are a lot more cats around. When I was a lad the streetlights used to go off at midnight. There on all night now. Confuses the birds which never get to sleep from the all night singing I've heard. Perhaps they're dying from exhaustion.
Not that they're a nuisance, but my Upvc windows and doors are covered with tiny red spider mites. At least they just wash off!
Quote from: poliss on July 03, 2011, 09:48:20 PM
Think they mentioned lots of greenfly/blackfly at Wimbledon today.
Can't say I've seen any swallows this year. They like insects. Not many sparrows about. Crows seem to be doing well, but then they chase cats. Pigeon numbers have gone down since they put windows on our balconies. Nowhere for them to nest now. There are a lot more cats around. When I was a lad the streetlights used to go off at midnight. There on all night now. Confuses the birds which never get to sleep from the all night singing I've heard. Perhaps they're dying from exhaustion.
Saw swifts around Swansea today - don't often see them though.
The streetlights are going off more and more at night, nobody can afford the power bills any more since the bankers stole all the money
Have your 'b' and 'w' keys been transposed Etched? :evil:
Quote from: oldrailbug on July 03, 2011, 09:46:22 PM
The England I remember in the 1940'50s never had problems like that but where I live in Australia we have plagues of Locusts, Mice, Mosquitos, Sand Flies, Red Back Spiders Cockroaches and Ghecko Lizards.
You can end up with itchy lumps, poisonous spider bites, creepy crawly things that walk up the walls or crawl across the floor maybe a snake bite that will kill you and so on, why not come over for a holiday. ;D ;D ;D
Dont know why, but i've always been curious about the old redback spiders? are they really bad? (forgive me but i have never been to Australia), just wondered what you folk think of them? are they a constant pest? are they rare? can you really die in 15 seconds by being bit? etc etc etc.
Let us know and post pictures (if you can, and dont go out your way to take any!!!!!)
Quote from: poliss on July 03, 2011, 10:41:55 PM
Have your 'b' and 'w' keys been transposed Etched? :evil:
Maybe we should start a new thread around collective nouns, starting with - A WUNCH of BANKERS :)
Quote from: owl729 on July 04, 2011, 12:09:37 AM
Quote from: oldrailbug on July 03, 2011, 09:46:22 PM
The England I remember in the 1940'50s never had problems like that but where I live in Australia we have plagues of Locusts, Mice, Mosquitos, Sand Flies, Red Back Spiders Cockroaches and Ghecko Lizards.
You can end up with itchy lumps, poisonous spider bites, creepy crawly things that walk up the walls or crawl across the floor maybe a snake bite that will kill you and so on, why not come over for a holiday. ;D ;D ;D
Dont know why, but i've always been curious about the old redback spiders? are they really bad? (forgive me but i have never been to Australia), just wondered what you folk think of them? are they a constant pest? are they rare? can you really die in 15 seconds by being bit? etc etc etc.
Let us know and post pictures (if you can, and dont go out your way to take any!!!!!)
We have many deadly spiders in Australia, the Redback has been known to kill people but with most it just nearly kills you with pain, there is of course and anti venom to help you recover, the redback can be found under outside chairs and toilet seats so many people get bitten on the bum.
We also have most of the deadliest Snakes in the world with the Australian Taipan being the most poisonous snake in the world, it actually makes a Cobra bite seem like a pussy cat, we also have the Death Adder, King Brown, Tiger, Red Belly Black Snake and many others all of which can kill.
We have the most poisonous Jelly Fish in the world called the Irukandji, it is so small you can hardly see it but once bitten you have about 15-20 minutes to live.
I see many Snakes while Bushwalking in National Parks which is another hobby of mine but so long as you don't annoy them they will not worry humans.
Forgot the Redback picture.
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k529/oldshutterbug/images.jpg)
But I heard that the deadliest of them all was the one eyed trouser snake !! Probably a phallusy though !!!!!!! :evil:
Quote from: m1racleman on July 04, 2011, 10:40:11 PM
But I heard that the deadliest of them all was the one eyed trouser snake !! Probably a phallusy though !!!!!!! :evil:
Crikey m1racleman that type of snake has got me in more trouble and cost me more money than I dare to think. :thumbsdown:
Quote from: oldrailbug on July 04, 2011, 10:11:23 PM
Quote from: owl729 on July 04, 2011, 12:09:37 AM
Quote from: oldrailbug on July 03, 2011, 09:46:22 PM
The England I remember in the 1940'50s never had problems like that but where I live in Australia we have plagues of Locusts, Mice, Mosquitos, Sand Flies, Red Back Spiders Cockroaches and Ghecko Lizards.
You can end up with itchy lumps, poisonous spider bites, creepy crawly things that walk up the walls or crawl across the floor maybe a snake bite that will kill you and so on, why not come over for a holiday. ;D ;D ;D
Dont know why, but i've always been curious about the old redback spiders? are they really bad? (forgive me but i have never been to Australia), just wondered what you folk think of them? are they a constant pest? are they rare? can you really die in 15 seconds by being bit? etc etc etc.
Let us know and post pictures (if you can, and dont go out your way to take any!!!!!)
We have many deadly spiders in Australia, the Redback has been known to kill people but with most it just nearly kills you with pain, there is of course and anti venom to help you recover, the redback can be found under outside chairs and toilet seats so many people get bitten on the bum.
We also have most of the deadliest Snakes in the world with the Australian Taipan being the most poisonous snake in the world, it actually makes a Cobra bite seem like a pussy cat, we also have the Death Adder, King Brown, Tiger, Red Belly Black Snake and many others all of which can kill.
We have the most poisonous Jelly Fish in the world called the Irukandji, it is so small you can hardly see it but once bitten you have about 15-20 minutes to live.
I see many Snakes while Bushwalking in National Parks which is another hobby of mine but so long as you don't annoy them they will not worry humans.
Forgot the Redback picture.
(http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k529/oldshutterbug/images.jpg)
Thanks for the reply, have you encountered many of these spiders in your house etc? They look mean, but im told they are smallish? is that right?
Quote from: oldrailbug on July 04, 2011, 11:17:56 PM
Quote from: m1racleman on July 04, 2011, 10:40:11 PM
But I heard that the deadliest of them all was the one eyed trouser snake !! Probably a phallusy though !!!!!!! :evil:
Crikey m1racleman that type of snake has got me in more trouble and cost me more money than I dare to think. :thumbsdown:
:smiley-laughing: :smiley-laughing: :smiley-laughing: :smiley-laughing: :smiley-laughing:
Hi there Owl we have had Redback Spiders under the chairs on the front patio but never been bitten, we found a nest with about 200 Redbacks crawling about one day so I poured lawn mower fuel over them and chucked a match over it, I guess you could call that lot Red Hot Redbacks :thumbsup:
Quote from: oldrailbug on July 04, 2011, 10:11:23 PM
Quote from: owl729 on July 04, 2011, 12:09:37 AM
Quote from: oldrailbug on July 03, 2011, 09:46:22 PM
The England I remember in the 1940'50s never had problems like that but where I live in Australia we have plagues of Locusts, Mice, Mosquitos, Sand Flies, Red Back Spiders Cockroaches and Ghecko Lizards.
You can end up with itchy lumps, poisonous spider bites, creepy crawly things that walk up the walls or crawl across the floor maybe a snake bite that will kill you and so on, why not come over for a holiday. ;D ;D ;D
Dont know why, but i've always been curious about the old redback spiders? are they really bad? (forgive me but i have never been to Australia), just wondered what you folk think of them? are they a constant pest? are they rare? can you really die in 15 seconds by being bit? etc etc etc.
Let us know and post pictures (if you can, and dont go out your way to take any!!!!!)
We have many deadly spiders in Australia, the Redback has been known to kill people but with most it just nearly kills you with pain, there is of course and anti venom to help you recover, the redback can be found under outside chairs and toilet seats so many people get bitten on the bum.
We also have most of the deadliest Snakes in the world with the Australian Taipan being the most poisonous snake in the world, it actually makes a Cobra bite seem like a pussy cat, we also have the Death Adder, King Brown, Tiger, Red Belly Black Snake and many others all of which can kill.
We have the most poisonous Jelly Fish in the world called the Irukandji, it is so small you can hardly see it but once bitten you have about 15-20 minutes to live.
I see many Snakes while Bushwalking in National Parks which is another hobby of mine but so long as you don't annoy them they will not worry humans.
I was reading Bill Bryson's book about his tour of Australia when I was on my hols and he mentions Australia even has a deadly poisonous seashell! (well, one with a deadly poisonous creature in it anyway).
Just sounds like way to dangerous a place to visit!
Crikey! :o Oz sounds like hell to me.
Being arachnophobic and hating the sight of snakes makes me think I'll give down under a miss! :smiley-laughing:
Quote from: oldrailbug on July 05, 2011, 09:35:20 PM
Hi there Owl we have had Redback Spiders under the chairs on the front patio but never been bitten, we found a nest with about 200 Redbacks crawling about one day so I poured lawn mower fuel over them and chucked a match over it, I guess you could call that lot Red Hot Redbacks :thumbsup:
............and I thought the only things that Australians barbecued were shrimps! :smiley-laughing:
All the best to you mate, and stay safe, it seems all the wildlife in Oz either wants to eat, bit or sting people!!!
Thanks for the pictures, they certainly are scary looking creatures. :thumbsup:
As a bit of an arachnophobe, remind me never to go there on holiday! :o
It's the funnel web spiders that worry me. :o
Too right - you wouldn't want one of them up your funnel, would you? :o