Exactly nut, it is just a riot of gorgeous colour and a reminder of how my childhood was filled with insects and creepy crawlies to admire. If I had my way there would still be front gardens and no tarmacing, hedges, wild areas and no fertilizers used on a wider scale. But we are lucky in Guernsey that hedges still divide the fields, but fertilizers seem to be the norm these days - sad but a fact of life. That's great Mark, well done National Trust and enjoy the view.
Oooh, Guernsey that is so gorgeous, I want to run thru it, please! I wrote a rude letter to the RHS mag, a few months ago, regarding paving of front gardens. We live on a narrow road, (folk opposite, have 4 cars, garage, drive big enough for all 4, but park on the road. We had drive done last year, nice small blocks, same colour, as "beach" size shingle which is half the drive, we have allowed the Valerian to seed, planted various Yuccas, snap dragons have self seeded, driftwood, (lit up by a solar light) a border one, side, large stone pots,climbing roses up the bungalow,hanging baskets. We had the same problem in our last house, which was Edwardian tiny little road, all drives on our side, so technically, you would park on the other side, except you couldnt. There was a bit of old conrete drive there, but we had to have a new water main so it had to be replaced. Just inspected my wildflowers, so far so good! Unfortunately, one bit was a huge ants nest, I cannot seem to get rid of them, I cleared the grass ready for wildflowers. BEFORE, I get told off for killing ants - I know Month says they do no harm, well, every rose I had a nest under, it killed the rose, AND I am very allergic to their bites, last time I got bitten on my calf muscle, it was,red hot, blew up so huge the Dr thought I had a DVT, till he saw the bite mark, I was wearing wellies
We must all do our bit to preserve nature & you are attracting some insects (apart from the ants) Nanny Beach with your snap dragons, unfortunately modern life has over run nature in a lot of areas, with tarmac, gravel, slabs and decking. I am sure that the majority of people are guilty of it. I am beginning to realize that the new neighbours cat is probably the reason why we no longer have a visiting kestrel or owl - the cat has eaten the majority of the rodents around here (the hunting birds staple diet).
At least plants come up in the gravel, and I am not guilty of adding to the water table, after really heavy shower last night the pots were so dry watered tonight and OH informed me (AND showed me!) pots containing dwarf pear and fig, have you know what nests in!!! I have just ordered a second piece of wildflower turf today, I think my back garden at an eighth of an acre should offset the paving for the cars! I have a "wild" bit down by my veg plot with nettles comfry, as well.The insects do like the valerian, the border planting, roses, oleander, and other flowering shrubs, out the front, i just seem to attract ants!
I can think of a lot worse creatures to have in your garden than ants Nanny B, but if you are allergic to their bites then that is bad news. We pour boiling water on any swarms or nests that we find, although obviously not near where plants are growing. We also get them in our house each spring when they are newly hatched or older flying ones and then the powder bottle comes out. Glad to see that you have a wild area - your garden will benefit from this and so will you.
This ants nest was huge, the above ground part was about a foot square,8 inches high, I dug into it used loads of boiling water, hoping it was quick, because I still feel guilty about killing anything, then dug a bit more, kept finding more and more, does the powder work. I need to get the soil dug and ready for my wildflower turf coming next week, its expensive I dont want the ants ruining it?
The most common ant in the UK is Lasius niger, the common black garden ant.
The diet of ants is so wide and varied that I could take all day to talk about what they eat, but on the whole they like to eat soft-bodied mites, insects, the larvae of various flies and beetles, and springtails. In addition to this Myrmica species, such as M. rubra, also like spiders. Lasius niger do not seem to like spiders very much.
Ants will also scavenge from carrion (dead mammals) such as birds and mice. They are not particularly adept hunters but tend to get most of their food opportunistically such as when insects get injured and cannot move or defend themselves, or when they become trapped or when freshly dead.
Ants will also eat sweet sugary things such as fruit, especially over-ripe, jam, candy and honey, though for the development of the larvae and the egg-producing of the queen insect protein is needed. Adult ants can quite happily live off a sugar diet.
An ants nest requires usually a very dry piece of ground under which they excavate many long tunnels and chambers. This process increases drainage within that area tremendously, anything planted above will be very very dry.
So ants don't eat vegetable matter as such but if building a nest then I can see a little damage occurring specifically where the nest is but I can't see ants damaging a larger area, more than a couple of feet at the most. I would be tempted to explore other reasons why your turf and other plants are suffering and dying. I can see an ants nest directly under a rose or other plant killing those plants but not plants and turf that is a foot or two at the most away from it.
My thoughts are that actually these ants are probably doing a great job of reducing other less welcome bugs and stuff in the garden such as green fly etc.
I don't know how problematic your ants are but we have an instant dislike and fear for things we have no knowledge of or perceive to be problem, a nuisance or damaging. We have a problem in the garden, we look for a reason why and we have a colony of ants to blame and rage war upon them.
I suspect that if you do successfully eradicate the ants your turf and plants may very well continue to suffer for some other reason.As I understand it the best way to get rid of ants is after dark on a cold or and wet evening. Dig out the nest find the main chamber where the queen is and destroy the queen.
Or in my case because what happens when I get bitten!, I have to admit I felt quite sick reading this. It was definitely ants nests under my roses that killed them. The turf would be right on where the ants nest is. These were little golden jobies.I wasnt saying they killed anything else off in my garden, they just happen to be where I started a wildflower meadow. Believe me, I am not perceiving to them a problem, an area where I get bitten swells on average to an area about twice the size of an adult hand, the leg bite was far bigger! They were black ants under my roses, and are now in my pots.
It sounds and looks as though you need professional help to get rid of your ants to me. But I can't help but feel that in all probability your neighbours have them too and they will return at some point.
We have had what we call our little meadow for about four years, I mowed it yesterday after letting seed set, didn't cut the wild orchids, started with one four years ago had a dozen this year plus buttercups, daisies, self heal, celandines, fritillaries and all different grasses, now the it is mown we can see the primroses that will be there for spring colour, behind the meadow is what we call a secret garden, with trees of oak beech and hawthorn, under are hellebores, primroses, daffoldils, an acer, hardy fuchsia, dog rose, and my compost heap, colour for different times of the year, the primroses are of differing colours.
Posts
Exactly nut, it is just a riot of gorgeous colour and a reminder of how my childhood was filled with insects and creepy crawlies to admire. If I had my way there would still be front gardens and no tarmacing, hedges, wild areas and no fertilizers used on a wider scale. But we are lucky in Guernsey that hedges still divide the fields, but fertilizers seem to be the norm these days - sad but a fact of life. That's great Mark, well done National Trust and enjoy the view.
Oooh, Guernsey that is so gorgeous, I want to run thru it, please! I wrote a rude letter to the RHS mag, a few months ago, regarding paving of front gardens. We live on a narrow road, (folk opposite, have 4 cars, garage, drive big enough for all 4, but park on the road. We had drive done last year, nice small blocks, same colour, as "beach" size shingle which is half the drive, we have allowed the Valerian to seed, planted various Yuccas, snap dragons have self seeded, driftwood, (lit up by a solar light) a border one, side, large stone pots,climbing roses up the bungalow,hanging baskets. We had the same problem in our last house, which was Edwardian tiny little road, all drives on our side, so technically, you would park on the other side, except you couldnt. There was a bit of old conrete drive there, but we had to have a new water main so it had to be replaced. Just inspected my wildflowers, so far so good! Unfortunately, one bit was a huge ants nest, I cannot seem to get rid of them, I cleared the grass ready for wildflowers. BEFORE, I get told off for killing ants - I know Month says they do no harm, well, every rose I had a nest under, it killed the rose, AND I am very allergic to their bites, last time I got bitten on my calf muscle, it was,red hot, blew up so huge the Dr thought I had a DVT, till he saw the bite mark, I was wearing wellies
We must all do our bit to preserve nature & you are attracting some insects (apart from the ants) Nanny Beach with your snap dragons, unfortunately modern life has over run nature in a lot of areas, with tarmac, gravel, slabs and decking. I am sure that the majority of people are guilty of it. I am beginning to realize that the new neighbours cat is probably the reason why we no longer have a visiting kestrel or owl - the cat has eaten the majority of the rodents around here (the hunting birds staple diet).
At least plants come up in the gravel, and I am not guilty of adding to the water table, after really heavy shower last night the pots were so dry watered tonight and OH informed me (AND showed me!) pots containing dwarf pear and fig, have you know what nests in!!! I have just ordered a second piece of wildflower turf today, I think my back garden at an eighth of an acre should offset the paving for the cars! I have a "wild" bit down by my veg plot with nettles comfry, as well.The insects do like the valerian, the border planting, roses, oleander, and other flowering shrubs, out the front, i just seem to attract ants!
I can think of a lot worse creatures to have in your garden than ants Nanny B, but if you are allergic to their bites then that is bad news. We pour boiling water on any swarms or nests that we find, although obviously not near where plants are growing. We also get them in our house each spring when they are newly hatched or older flying ones and then the powder bottle comes out. Glad to see that you have a wild area - your garden will benefit from this and so will you.
This ants nest was huge, the above ground part was about a foot square,8 inches high, I dug into it used loads of boiling water, hoping it was quick, because I still feel guilty about killing anything, then dug a bit more, kept finding more and more, does the powder work. I need to get the soil dug and ready for my wildflower turf coming next week, its expensive I dont want the ants ruining it?
The most common ant in the UK is Lasius niger, the common black garden ant.
The diet of ants is so wide and varied that I could take all day to talk about what they eat, but on the whole they like to eat soft-bodied mites, insects, the larvae of various flies and beetles, and springtails. In addition to this Myrmica species, such as M. rubra, also like spiders. Lasius niger do not seem to like spiders very much.
Ants will also scavenge from carrion (dead mammals) such as birds and mice. They are not particularly adept hunters but tend to get most of their food opportunistically such as when insects get injured and cannot move or defend themselves, or when they become trapped or when freshly dead.
Ants will also eat sweet sugary things such as fruit, especially over-ripe, jam, candy and honey, though for the development of the larvae and the egg-producing of the queen insect protein is needed. Adult ants can quite happily live off a sugar diet.
An ants nest requires usually a very dry piece of ground under which they excavate many long tunnels and chambers. This process increases drainage within that area tremendously, anything planted above will be very very dry.
So ants don't eat vegetable matter as such but if building a nest then I can see a little damage occurring specifically where the nest is but I can't see ants damaging a larger area, more than a couple of feet at the most. I would be tempted to explore other reasons why your turf and other plants are suffering and dying. I can see an ants nest directly under a rose or other plant killing those plants but not plants and turf that is a foot or two at the most away from it.
My thoughts are that actually these ants are probably doing a great job of reducing other less welcome bugs and stuff in the garden such as green fly etc.
I don't know how problematic your ants are but we have an instant dislike and fear for things we have no knowledge of or perceive to be problem, a nuisance or damaging. We have a problem in the garden, we look for a reason why and we have a colony of ants to blame and rage war upon them.
I suspect that if you do successfully eradicate the ants your turf and plants may very well continue to suffer for some other reason.As I understand it the best way to get rid of ants is after dark on a cold or and wet evening. Dig out the nest find the main chamber where the queen is and destroy the queen.
Or in my case because what happens when I get bitten!, I have to admit I felt quite sick reading this. It was definitely ants nests under my roses that killed them. The turf would be right on where the ants nest is. These were little golden jobies.I wasnt saying they killed anything else off in my garden, they just happen to be where I started a wildflower meadow. Believe me, I am not perceiving to them a problem, an area where I get bitten swells on average to an area about twice the size of an adult hand, the leg bite was far bigger! They were black ants under my roses, and are now in my pots.
It sounds and looks as though you need professional help to get rid of your ants to me. But I can't help but feel that in all probability your neighbours have them too and they will return at some point.
We have had what we call our little meadow for about four years, I mowed it yesterday after letting seed set, didn't cut the wild orchids, started with one four years ago had a dozen this year plus buttercups, daisies, self heal, celandines, fritillaries and all different grasses, now the it is mown we can see the primroses that will be there for spring colour, behind the meadow is what we call a secret garden, with trees of oak beech and hawthorn, under are hellebores, primroses, daffoldils, an acer, hardy fuchsia, dog rose, and my compost heap, colour for different times of the year, the primroses are of differing colours.