Also see - from an earlier post:

Flying ant day: When winged ants take their nuptial flight

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/when-why-winged-ants-swarm-nuptial-flight.html 

Interesting read thank you.

No, but thanks, I might give it a go, sounds interesting. I'll have to think of what to sample although my wife could send in a different one - she will be interested as she studied biology.

Monarch Butterflies are now native to Britain.

https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/25285517.butterfly-walk-takes-place-rodwell-trail-weymouth/ 

Have infestation of fruit flies.  Have put all fruit and any other food in the fridge but the fuckers are still there. Any ideas of how to treat them?

This Website will tell you all you need/want to know:

How to get rid of fruit flies and stop them coming back

https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-and-stop-them-coming-back-aNzhm9d6r8r4 

"Of all humanity's terrible menaces

One of the worse must be parthenogenesis!"

https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/scientists-discover-secret-of-virgin-birth-and-switch-on-the-ability-in-female-flies 

Thanks. Not straightforward to get rid of them.  The old fly spray looks like its still the best,

Yes, very interesting. I never knew ants could live for 28 years !!

Viz the question in model discussion about nature recovering from August 2022. I have it on good authority that the desiccation of what most would call 'weeds' and I would call 'vital food plants' led to a decline in invertebrates that too two years to recover from.

And here we are again...

Agree, albeit subjectively and anecdotally.

Down here in the SE the dry 2022 period culminated with a drought in May 2023, after which the weather incredibly flipped to the wettest 18months i've ever known (i bang on about this every opportunity i get on here).

In my garden, and from nature observations, we lost a number of wild birds, including our marsh tits which presumably died off in the droughts. There were also a number of notable and significant mature trees which died, or had their demise catalysed by the heat/drought stress (Hartfields famous Oak, for example). I recall spring 2022 or 2023 was brutal too with dessicating winds drying out many of the hedgerows before they'd even fully come into leaf!

Invertebrates were notable by their absence with very little bee activity 2023 & 2024 and next to no butterflies on my buddleia, which in the years 2020-2022 were absolutely teeming with life - A much better recovery this year, presumably as a result of the verdant growth last summer and the two mild winters, which have allowed the avian populations recovery.

I fear this year we're heading for much of the same if we don't catch a break in the weather soon. I enjoy settled and mild weather as much as the next man, but extreme heat and drought is just downright damaging. We should count ourselves incredibly lucky that ground water resiliance has been built up since 2023, as if we'd entered this year in drought conditions then things would be a hell of a lot worse. 

I should add, i'm not at all surprised to see the same old overtly politicised/radicalised posters in denial on some of the other threads, albeit suggestively so.  

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c14emrx5x66o.amp 

They're all over the place this year, apparently the most since that summer all you old fogeys keep banging on about! 

Indeed there are a large amount in my garden, which I am very thankful for as they have been tackling the woolly aphids on the apple tree and the difference in the last four weeks is remarkable, the tree looks healthier and there's not so many aphids visible, just a couple of patches left but lots and lots of Ladybirds instead.

A dragonfly was flying about yesterday too, I believe it was, possibly, a migrant Hawker as it had blue spots/bands on it's abdomen, it was in flight over the wild part of the garden, so hard to be certain.

I am one of those "old fogeys" and although there are quite a few ladybirds about I don't think it is anything like 1976. 

Worry not. You will have memories too! 🤣🤣🤣

Could the ladybird plague of 1976 happen again?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35603972 

https://butterfly-conservation.org/butterflies/white-admiral 

https://butterfly-conservation.org/butterflies/silver-washed-fritillary 

https://www.visitlincolnshire.com/things-to-do/lincolnshire-limewoods/ 

Yes, saw both too at the local nature reserve. It was a funny moment as i'd just read the information board telling me to look out for both species and i don't think i'd walked 100yrds before both swooped by.

I'll be fogey'ing in no time, no doubt about that!

Already happened at Lords on Friday.  Had a lot in my garden also. Dont know what happened to them since

It's that time of year again - the Butterfly Conservation Count is underway. If you've got 15 minutes spare, you can count the butterflies you see and submit a report:

https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/ 

I did mine yesterday in the garden: two large whites, three gatekeepers and three speckled woods. I take particular pride in the latter, as they seldom appear in other people's reports on Sheppey. I put it down to having an area of the garden with a few trees, where I let the grass grow long and the nettles thrive - out of sight of the neighbours!

We have at least a pair of these under our fruit trees every year for the last 26. They are incredibly territorial, bombarding other butterflies, bees and even our daschunds (and me on one occasion). Always love seeing them.

Incidentally Darren, the watch seems to have focused on just Norfolk last year- is that right? If so, who's the focus this year? Or is that just a single example with good coverage?

A BBC article today reflects the comments about insects:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce9xlrgypp5o 

It emphasises what a good year it's been but is balanced enough to recognise a longer term decline in flying insects.

It also points out the dearth of butterflies last year and the risk next year of low numbers of some species because of this year's weather patterns.

Public urged to look out for exotic Jersey Tiger moths in parks and gardens

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/public-urged-to-look-out-for-exotic-jersey-tiger-moths-in-parks-and-gardens/ar-AA1JNkU7 

A good year for this moth, previously only seen in the southwest, now up into the Midlands and East Anglia

Timely - I took this picture in my garden a few days ago!

https://ukwct.org.uk/weather/moth.jpg 

I saw exactly the same the other week. 

But, (I understand from talking to someone well informed) the scorching spells of July/August '22 did for many insect food plants (often known as 'weeds' by the general public), and any insects/larvae feeding on them - heatwaves are very damaging and in many ways.

Dryness wise we are in such a situation atm but things can cope so long as it's not too hot and desiccating, part of why I so dislike heatwaves.

Here it is.