Hello. Well, I made a fine old mess in the kitchen with my old banana and some brown sugar and kirsch. It didn't taste bad at all. Went out into the night (no street light for miles around) and switched on the light that we have by the gate for visitors. Smeared the mixture onto the tree by the gate. Retreated to house and waited. And waited. And waited. Nothing more than the usual little brown jobs and orange underwings - and they all seemed to be giving my sugaring mixture a very wide berth indeed. Went to bed.
Woke up this morning. The tree looks like someone has leaned against it after a particularly heavy pub crawl.
Well, I found a couple of these EHM caterpillars today, they were three inches long and fat as a pencil (or even fatter), very pretty things to look at. Until you see one in the flesh you can't really appreciate just how big they are. One even retracted its trunk (which makes its head big and round) and reared up in the 'snake' pose which is their defence strategy; it frightens birds apparently.
I felt privileged anad proud for a moment ... then found catties of the Large White eating my cabbage ... pride comes before a fall as they say.
Hmm there must be a technique to this sugaring business that I don't have. Put it on the tree the other night and went out to look by torchlight. Something not quite right. What could it be? Ah yes. Pouring with rain. Tried the next night. Too cold (5 Celcius) and nothing flying about. This morning the mixture was as hard as rock and covered in ants. Went out to look tonight. More ants.
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Hi fairygirl. We use a light trap but sugaring is good cos you don't need any equipment. Try it, you'll be amazed.
You might get some wasps, we get the odd one in the trap, but mostly they've gone to bed after dark.
Waiting for a report back from waterbutts
In the sticks near Peterborough
Hello. Well, I made a fine old mess in the kitchen with my old banana and some brown sugar and kirsch. It didn't taste bad at all. Went out into the night (no street light for miles around) and switched on the light that we have by the gate for visitors. Smeared the mixture onto the tree by the gate. Retreated to house and waited. And waited. And waited. Nothing more than the usual little brown jobs and orange underwings - and they all seemed to be giving my sugaring mixture a very wide berth indeed. Went to bed.
Woke up this morning. The tree looks like someone has leaned against it after a particularly heavy pub crawl.
I shall have another look this evening......
wb, turn the light off, it will attract some of them away from the sugar. Go out and look with a torch
In the sticks near Peterborough
Ah!
Wow, that hawk moth is beautiful! I found a Lime Hawk Moth a couple of years ago, resting on the wall in our garden.
that's a lovely moth gladioli girl. I've never seenone of those. And I've got a lime tree for it
In the sticks near Peterborough
Well, I found a couple of these EHM caterpillars today, they were three inches long and fat as a pencil (or even fatter), very pretty things to look at. Until you see one in the flesh you can't really appreciate just how big they are. One even retracted its trunk (which makes its head big and round) and reared up in the 'snake' pose which is their defence strategy; it frightens birds apparently.
I felt privileged anad proud for a moment ... then found catties of the Large White eating my cabbage ... pride comes before a fall as they say.
Hmm there must be a technique to this sugaring business that I don't have. Put it on the tree the other night and went out to look by torchlight. Something not quite right. What could it be? Ah yes. Pouring with rain. Tried the next night. Too cold (5 Celcius) and nothing flying about. This morning the mixture was as hard as rock and covered in ants. Went out to look tonight. More ants.
Lots of moths on the big pink buddleia though.
and wasps?
In the sticks near Peterborough
Oh yes, and wasps.