"Franz Heymann" wrote in message
...

"Bigus" wrote in message
...
"atwifa" wrote in message
...

if you really want to defend your
crops, then any number of physical (and chemical) deterrents are
readily
available.

speaking of deterrents, are there any good ones that don't involve
using
chemicals?

What is it that you want to deter?
Playing the bagpipes might deter some unwanted visitors..

I'm not sure that would go down too well with the neighbours, but if I get
desparate I might try it ;-)

Tom Warner wrote:



I can't say I have noticed this. Our raspberrys have been picked without
hinderance, our apples are ripening nicely, we will soon be picking
un-wasped damsons and our (very small) peach tree has given us three perfect
peaches.
In case you are wondering, we are totally organic, spray nothing and let
wasps go about their business as far as possible.
Perhaps the problem is just local to you?
best wishes
Tom (S/W Essex)

Thanks all for your replies, all interesting, though naturally I
cannot agree with everyone. The jam jar wasp trap would not be
practical, there are just too many wasps. I suspect part of the problem
is that I am away a few days every week and the raspberries have not
been picked, thus over ripening.

I am organic, though if I see a wasp nest "in the way" I would have it
destroyed, since having multiple stings a few years ago I have become
very sensitive to their stings.

The apple tree from which they have eaten all the apples is a three year
old discovery, and I was looking forward to my first taste! Next year
maybe! It has been a good year here for fruit, but I guess what nature
gives she can take away. :-(


--
Please do not reply by Email, as all
emails to this address are automatically deleted.

Following up to Victoria Clare

they have taken virtually all my raspberries. What control method
would you recommend?

Are you sure this was wasps? The birds had most of mine, though usually
they are not that keen on rasps.

Yes, they are there attacking them, makes it dangerous to pick.
Previous years nothing has touched them.
--
Mike Reid
If god wanted us to be vegetarians he wouldn't have made animals out of meat.
Wasdale-Lake district-Thames path-London "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" -- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

Following up to Rodger Whitlock

Add wolves, and the trees start to regenerate after the
herbivores themselves are chomped. Who would have foreseen this?

The Lake District and Scottish Highlands only look as they do
because they are overgrazed by sheep and deer.
--
Mike Reid
If god wanted us to be vegetarians he wouldn't have made animals out of meat.
Wasdale-Lake district-Thames path-London "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" -- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

Following up to Magwitch

We have a wasp nest under the thatch of the porch, I decided to let it be
and so far have had virtually no houseflies in the house,

how did you get on eating in the garden?
--
Mike Reid
If god wanted us to be vegetarians he wouldn't have made animals out of meat.
Wasdale-Lake district-Thames path-London "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" -- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

David Hill muttered:

If the wasps are not bothering me and mine then live and let live,
About 4 years ago we had a beautiful wasps nest in a large Viburnam Placatum
.. it was out of the way so it stayed.

We have a wasp nest under the thatch of the porch, I decided to let it be
and so far have had virtually no houseflies in the house, whereas in
previous years they'd be everywhere... together with the almost plague
proportions of hover flies that have eaten all the aphids, they've done a
great job.

Following up to

The Lake District and Scottish Highlands only look as they do
because they are overgrazed by sheep and deer.

I thought it was because the ancient Brits did slash and burn farming?

It would have reforested by now. I think just the more exposed
tops would be grass/rock. In the highlands you often see
petrified trees in the bogs. IIRC Scots pines in their natural
shape, not "pointy" would be the dominant tree.
--
Mike Reid
If god wanted us to be vegetarians he wouldn't have made animals out of meat.
Wasdale-Lake district-Thames path-London "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" -- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

Following up to

The Lake District and Scottish Highlands only look as they do
because they are overgrazed by sheep and deer.

I thought it was because the ancient Brits did slash and burn farming?

Not according to the books.

Exploitation, overgrazing and climate change are the reasons as
far as I know. The exploitation has stopped (of natural trees)
exclude deer and sheep and eventually the trees come back. The
other factor in Scotland is of course maintenance of heather
moorland for game birds.

It would have reforested by now.

like the sub Sahara?

The conditions are not the same, there isn't a shortage of water
in the Lake District and Scotland, for a start!
--
Mike Reid
If god wanted us to be vegetarians he wouldn't have made animals out of meat.
Wasdale-Lake district-Thames path-London "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" -- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

Following up to

There wasn't a shortage of water in sub Sahara until they removed most
of the vegetation.

Removing all the vegetation causes climate change.
Libya was the main source of wheat for the Roman Empire
--

Sure, but that hasnt happened in Britain. The soil is there, the
rain is there.
Global warming may have effects in the future, of course. It
could get hotter, it could get colder, depending on what happens
to the flow of the Gulf Stream and maybe the flow of US voting.
--
Mike Reid
If god wanted us to be vegetarians he wouldn't have made animals out of meat.
Wasdale-Lake district-Thames path-London "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" -- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

Following up to

Sure, but that hasnt happened in Britain. The soil is there, the
rain is there.

The trees don't grow, because the ground is too acid.

acid rain is certainly a factor (it seems to have gone out of
fashion for some reason).
--
Mike Reid
If god wanted us to be vegetarians he wouldn't have made animals out of meat.
Wasdale-Lake district-Thames path-London "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" -- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

Following up to

acid rain is certainly a factor (it seems to have gone out of
fashion for some reason).

This week it was mentioned on the R4 radio as being good at slowing
down global warming - there must be research funding available for
acid rain studies again.

Yes, ironic.
--
Mike Reid
If god wanted us to be vegetarians he wouldn't have made animals out of meat.
Wasdale-Lake district-Thames path-London "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" -- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

"Franz Heymann" wrote in message ...
"Janet Baraclough.." wrote in
message ...
[...]
criticism of other
peoples' use of context and editing technique

Yes. I am a mere mortal. I do tend to under-edit others'
contributions and I am the world's champion typomaker.

I don't understand the problem with attributions: I use Google Groups,
which isn't even _intended_ as a newsreader, but it does the
attributions automatically. Surely OE does, too?

Mike.

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
om...
"Franz Heymann" wrote in message
...
"Janet Baraclough.." wrote
in
message ...
[...]
criticism of other
peoples' use of context and editing technique

Yes. I am a mere mortal. I do tend to under-edit others'
contributions and I am the world's champion typomaker.

I don't understand the problem with attributions: I use Google
Groups,
which isn't even _intended_ as a newsreader, but it does the
attributions automatically. Surely OE does, too?

Yes. It does. I use OE.

Franz

Tonight I've had to get rid of my 2nd nest of the year, this was/is in the
corner of the packing /machinery shed, and the entrance to the nest is only
about 4ft from the path to the cloths line and 10ft from the line itself, so
it has to go.
Had to use step ladder to get to its height, but dusted it tonight after
dark, when there is no activity.
It's strange, I haven't had to remove any nests for the last 2 years, and 2
already this year.


--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

On 6/8/04 23:56, in article , "David Hill"
wrote:

Tonight I've had to get rid of my 2nd nest of the year, this was/is in the
corner of the packing /machinery shed, and the entrance to the nest is only
about 4ft from the path to the cloths line and 10ft from the line itself, so
it has to go.
Had to use step ladder to get to its height, but dusted it tonight after
dark, when there is no activity.
It's strange, I haven't had to remove any nests for the last 2 years, and 2
already this year.

There was something in one of the papers today about wasps being a bit of a
plague this year. Perhaps it's the result of a long hot end to last summer
and a comparatively mild winter.
I think we have more about just now. We took our glasses of wine onto the
big lawn tonight to let the dogs romp about and had plenty of wasps flying
around in an over-excited fashion.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)