What did you do in the Apiary today?

[jenkinsbrynmair]

There's culling, and there's indiscriminate killing for the sake of it.

 

[beeno]

There's culling, and there's indiscriminate killing for the sake of it.

You mean people that kill cats.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You mean people that kill cats.

and native hornets

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have not as yet, as I hope by destroying their tunnel network they might have moved on. The grey squirrels are a pest in the area destroying my strawberry crop. I would not mind if they ate a few, but they take the green ones and don't even eat them as well as destroying the woodlands in the area. The wood pigeons destroy kale, spinach and mange tout. The deer cannot access my garden any more, but they used to eat my neighbours roses. Culling it is called. Bunch of townies on the forum?

They must know how you feel, all these creatures and are trying to crowd you out. I can see your garden is going to be full of Kamikaze furry things until you run out of ammunition

 

[The Poot]

I stacked it all up, some decent logs there, although my friend hasn't access to a lathe now, he may find a home for some of it.
After I left the weather turned, some pretty wild squalls actually, had a call from Tiddy at dusk, he'd been down to survey the work (they're having some serious renovation work done so haven't moved in yet - it was his mam's place) and found this
View attachment 24589
By the time I got there it was almost dark and the Gwydfan was in full spate, managed to get down the bank and rescued the one on the right (one of my top performing colonies) but the second started slipping and it was a choice of either me or the bees for a watery end. they actually floated away on the upturned roof, so you never know, they may be jammed under a bank somewhere not far away.

That’s awful, Jenks. What caused it - the wind, an animal or the river bank subsiding?
The hives were all strapped down and looked really secure in the previous picture.

I have a river bordering my property - looking similar in size to the one in your picture and each year I have less garden!

 

[amandaj57]

Bunch of townies on the forum?

What a patronising comment to make.
I have never lived in a town in my life, in fact I am nearly half a mile away from my nearest neighbour but I believe in live and let live. The only thing I have deliberately destroyed is a stoat that killed six of my chickens in a fortnight. All the stoats before only took eggs from the house so they have been left in peace. The stoat that has taken its place(beautiful white coat currently) is not bothering the girls so I don't bother it.
Wildlife has a hard enough time because of humans as it is.

 

[pargyle]

I have all sorts of creatures in my garden, it's great to see them. Voles, Wood mice, even the occasional rat. Never been a problem, in fact often a source of amusement. Best of the lot was a rat I spotted while we were sitting enjoying a beverage. It walked along the edge of my little wildlife pond and disappeared from site so I got up and leaned to one side to see if I could see it under the perennial cornflower. As I leaned further I was met with a pair of beady, black eyes of the rat who was doing exactly the same and peeping to see if I was still there. Best laugh I've had in ages.

I don't mind mice and voles, we even have an urban fox that lives under the concrete floor of the workshop, grey squirrels are a damn nuisance but I'm not allowed to reduce their numbers but I drew the line at the rats we had for a while and some got into the loft ... the airgun sorted them out ... all except Roland and I just didn't have the heart to despatch him, he only had three legs a stump of a tail and was almost silver in colour - I could walk faster than he could run.. he'd clearly had a rough life and I think lived solely off what the pigeons spilled off the bird table. He was around for well over a year .. lived under the compost bin mostly but I used to surprise him all over the garden and he would trundle off into the nearest undergrowth ... and one day he disappeared. I hope he died of old age but I suspect either the fox or one of the local cats (and I consider them to be near vermin !) got him.

So even a rat got tolerated for a while ...

 

[pargyle]

I stacked it all up, some decent logs there, although my friend hasn't access to a lathe now, he may find a home for some of it.
After I left the weather turned, some pretty wild squalls actually, had a call from Tiddy at dusk, he'd been down to survey the work (they're having some serious renovation work done so haven't moved in yet - it was his mam's place) and found this
View attachment 24589
By the time I got there it was almost dark and the Gwydfan was in full spate, managed to get down the bank and rescued the one on the right (one of my top performing colonies) but the second started slipping and it was a choice of either me or the bees for a watery end. they actually floated away on the upturned roof, so you never know, they may be jammed under a bank somewhere not far away.

Oh my ... that's pretty awful ... not worth the risk of going in the water though ... shame about the bees.

 

[gmonag]

The most annoying creature in the garden Is a deer. Two houses ago, we would often find all the flowers daintily removed from groups of perennial geranium, leaving just the stalks. Grrr!

There is a female Muntjac in my garden who has raised her fawn all winter in a large bush against a fence. I'm not a gardener so I don't mind them and the fawn is very cute.

 

[beeno]

They must know how you feel, all these creatures and are trying to crowd you out. I can see your garden is going to be full of Kamikaze furry things until you run out of ammunition

Not at all I can always give up and go to the supermarket.

 

[amandaj57]

I don't mind mice and voles, we even have an urban fox that lives under the concrete floor of the workshop, grey squirrels are a damn nuisance but I'm not allowed to reduce their numbers but I drew the line at the rats we had for a while and some got into the loft ... the airgun sorted them out ... all except Roland and I just didn't have the heart to despatch him, he only had three legs a stump of a tail and was almost silver in colour - I could walk faster than he could run.. he'd clearly had a rough life and I think lived solely off what the pigeons spilled off the bird table. He was around for well over a year .. lived under the compost bin mostly but I used to surprise him all over the garden and he would trundle off into the nearest undergrowth ... and one day he disappeared. I hope he died of old age but I suspect either the fox or one of the local cats (and I consider them to be near vermin !) got him.

So even a rat got tolerated for a while ...

We used to have a little female grey squirrel that basically thought she was a family pet. She used to come every morning and tap on the bedroom window for a cashew nut. She was once given an almond instead and threw it away in disgust. When she had a litter she used to bring them to live in the blocked up chimney at the end of the kitchen for a couple of weeks before they were old enough for her to move on, they used to do a fantastic job of cleaning out my kitchen gutters.
She was with us for almost seven years,

 

[beeno]

and native hornets

I am trying to keep bees. There is no lack of native hornets where I live presumably because of all the beekeepers. I am not having my bees under siege from hornets if I can do something about it.

 

[beeno]

We used to have a little female grey squirrel that basically thought she was a family pet. She used to come every morning and tap on the bedroom window for a cashew nut. She was once given an almond instead and threw it away in disgust. When she had a litter she used to bring them to live in the blocked up chimney at the end of the kitchen for a couple of weeks before they were old enough for her to move on, they used to do a fantastic job of cleaning out my kitchen gutters.
She was with us for almost seven years,

Very nice story. I saved a baby thrush that imprinted on me we called him Ossi. I used to cut up caterpillars for him. He used to fly down to greet me. He made it to adulthood. Occasionally we have a thrush in the garden and we wonder if it is him.
About 500 squirrels are shot every year in Burnham Beeches because they destroy the trees.

 

[Erichalfbee]

About 500 squirrels are shot every year in Burnham Beeches because they destroy the trees.

Crikey Beeno that must keep you very busy. Is that 1.4 ( rounded up) a day or do you have shooting parties?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

That’s awful, Jenks. What caused it - the wind, an animal or the river bank subsiding?
The hives were all strapped down and looked really secure in the previous picture.

I have a river bordering my property - looking similar in size to the one in your picture and each year I have less garden!

Not sure what happened, was getting too dark to investigate properly, all hives looked fine when I walked around them earlier, I shall investigate further tomorrow, few ideas, could have been a pretty violent squall (it would have to be) tipped the stand over, one roll would have taken them to the edge of the bank then they'd slip down, or could be a burrow or just waterlogged soil, one leg sinking and that flipping them over. That bank is secure, been like that for at least 55 years, Pat, Tiddy's father was a pretty gifted civil engineer so that whole channel from above the bridge which gives access to the cottage, down to the bend ten yards down from the hives. it looks only a stream but it is absolutely ferocious in a flood

Oh my ... that's pretty awful ... not worth the risk of going in the water though ... shame about the bees.

If I'm lucky (and the bees even luckier) they may be stuck on the bank a little further down, they actually landed upside down inside the roof and they were floating when I last saw them, they might only be down under the next bridge which is just a few yards downstream from the garden, either that or I can expect a frantic call from the farm in the morning as they've washed up next to the milking parlour!!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Crikey Beeno that must keep you very busy. Is that 1.4 ( rounded up) a day or do you have shooting parties?

cordless hoover

 

[beeno]

Crikey Beeno that must keep you very busy. Is that 1.4 ( rounded up) a day or do you have shooting parties?

That would be the authorities doing the shooting not me. There are shooting parties in the neighbourhood for pheasants for Christmas. The pheasants are left on the road side - bred for sport. Are you having a bad day?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The pheasants are left on the road side - bred for sport.

Typical townie comment

 

[beeno]

cordless hoover

She is on about the squirrels now. Keep up.

 

[beeno]

Typical townie comment

Pls expand I am interested.