On 01/09/2012 12:10, 'Mike' wrote: or lack of. Even though the plums
have at long last ripened and some are
in a poor state, no wasps!!

My daughter has a prolific harvest on her plum tree too with fruit
dropping to the ground, again no wasps :-)

There are at most six plums on our neighbours tree which is usually
prolific enough to keep the entire village in plums at this time of
year. Some wasps, quite a few beehives have gone queenless and at last a
handful of butterflies to take advantage of the buddlea flowers but all
in all it has been a really tough year for insects.

It is so bad here that our Christmas forced hyacinths are back in flower
again thinking that they have already endured a winter!

--
Regards,
Martin Brown