This year there has been a definite lowering of numbers of everything: fewer butterflies, bees, rabbits, moles, squirrels. And I'm beginning to miss them!
Although I might occasionally grumble at the huge number of large mole hills popping up, this year there has been very few mole hills and what there are are very small. Ditto rabbits. The huge one I used to spot sitting in the middle of the lawn last season as disappeared and I'm not seeing any replacements. Ditto butterflies. Very, very few this year. Which might explain the poor showing of some fruit (with weather of course!).
Anyone else missing these 'pests'? And do you think the numbers will go up again next year?
Certainly no shortage of rabbits here. And we have molehills around for the first time. Not seen the squirrels opposite home for a while. Elsewhere nearly ran one over yesterday. Once the trees loose their leaves tend to see the squirrels much more.
But not seen any May bugs, and red admiral butterflies. So far very few cabbage white, but I will not hold my breathe. Not many bees about. But ants, and more ants. Blackbirds were having a great time yesterday eating the flying ones. Lots of froglets and toadlets.
We have noticed a lot more ants red and black
Loads of ants :(
A spider web everywhere I turn in the back garden ::)
A few bee's and butterfly's but deffo less :(
Squirrels are always here making a nuisance of themselves >:(
No wasps which is a plus ;D
Loads of fecking slugs and snails. :'(
The bees or wasps, think they are bees just love my hollyhocks in the back and front garden. They are too tall for my small garden, but will take some up to the allotment (the seeds). Got an email for special offer 10p per plant for hollyhocks, I don't think so, they grow like weeds. Saw a beautiful young fox at the allotment and it looked very healthy. Plenty of red, flying ants, black ants as Kev said. Not seen any of the green parrakeet's this year, and no partridges. Chasing the cabbage white butterflies out of the back garden as they just love my broccoli. Plenty of squirrels and pigeons.
I wouldn't want to comment on overall numbers, but I think I've seen a bigger variety of insects this year than I can remember seeing for ages. Huge grasshoppers looking more like locusts, more types of smaller butterflies and loads of types of beetles. I saw a massive wasp-imitating fly the other day in the garden which I am sure I've never seen before.
Also saw a muntjac deer near our allotments, which given we are in suburban north london was a bit of a shock. I imagine it may wreak havok if it gets onto the allotments when the weather gets colder.
It kind of gave me hope that things aren't all going badly for wildlife and made me feel that a systematic survey of our allotment wildlife might be a good thing - but I doubt I'd ever get round to it.
Mat
There are frogs at my allotments, see the picture below lol:
http://notjustgreenfingers.wordpress.com/category/gardening-wildlife/
I love the way the frog is eyeing up it's breakfast
I have just realised there was something missing, grasshoppers! I have not seen or heard any this year. Just cut the long grass after being away and noticed they just ain't there.
Quote from: ACE on September 05, 2012, 13:05:08
I have just realised there was something missing, grasshoppers! I have not seen or heard any this year. Just cut the long grass after being away and noticed they just ain't there.
Oh, you should come up north to see them ;) I've seen plenty of grass hoppers..particularly last few days. Its been so nice and dry out here.. ;D
I've noticed 'millions' of small frogs..they spawning was good success this year.
'millions' of slugs and snails.. ::)..of all shapes and sizes.
In spring we and looooands of ladybirds around..not seen much after the monsoons.
Plenty of birds but blue and great tit numbers have been suffering.
Bats been busy and I see them every night.
Earlier on the year somebody tried to reduce our fox population with some poison.. >:(..we made lot of noise about it and sound like its been heard as after couple of quiet months they 'returned'.
We've got quite a lot of bumbles about..and honey bee colonies have survived the wet too.
Not many wasp..but plenty of blood sucking insects.
Not many cabbage butterflies neither.. ;D
Hoverflies have been really prolific here. Everywhere you turn there's a few dottng about. All sorts of diffferent species which is fantastic, I love hoverflies.
Wasps have finally crawled out of the woodwork, but I guess it's that time of year. Previously seen as a fearsome enemy before gardening, I now enjoy watching them working the rows looking for some pests to scoff.
Less butterflies, except the sodding cabbage white. In fact, next to hoverflies, thay are probably the most common flying insect in the garden.
Not seen too much of the bumble-bees. I had a wee nest under the shed early on in the year but began to find a couple corpses on the lawn in July and now they're not coming and going anymore :(
Not seen a single hedgehog since I moved here a year and a half ago. Not even roadkill. No frogs/toads in pond yet. I have seen three dragonflies, though, not bad for an urban garden.
Ladybirds definitely up since last year. Aphids the same. Expecting ladybird bloom and aphid crash in the next year or two. Saw my first ladybird larva this year too. Would never have known it if I hadn't started this gardening lark.
Numbers will go up for some, down for others, it depends on what's best suited to survive the joy of the Horse Latitudes and it's capricious weather. But nature in general, it ALWAYS bounces back. The poor weather has just weeded out some of the weak, that's all.
This is all wonderfully encouraging. Plus have just watched our large (wild) ginger-haired rabbit sitting contendly in middle of lawn munching grass.