Beth Stodghill

Ok, no fear.  How about a healthy dose of concern.  Found this video on YouTube.  What can't you find on YouTube?  
Heading out to try it now.  We will see if it improves our yield.   So far no fruit set on anything.

I wonder if the people who did those videos could do us one where they look for the critters that usually eat these bugs?  Another video on analysing what's changed in the bugs food sources.  And yet another one on what surrounds them - like up their watershed, pollutants upwind, new weather patterns in the winte r (too cold, too hot), stuff like that.  

We had a much, much warmer winter than normal.  We actually expected more insects this year not fewer.  I had been hoping to purchase two bee nucs this year but all the apiaries in the area saw huge losses of hives over the winter.  Too warm, maybe?  And those who are creating new hives now are seeing unhealthy comb patterns.

We have fewer frogs, toads, and tadpoles this year and we still have not seen the first bat.  

Maybe they all moved west?  We have a very healthy population this year... a lot more than years previous.

Glad to hear things are going well in your area.  I guess we might have to have our produce shipped in!

Guess I'll just keep a watchful eye and see if I can coax more pollinators to out little valley.

Thanks!


Btw, my maiden name was Ranson.  Wonder if we're related?

Okay, so this terrifies me.  This is exactly what I came to the forum looking for.  We live in a cedar home on our farm in middle Tennessee.  Every year we are inundated with wasps.  They were here when we moved in and we could not convince them to leave.  Same with the wood bees.  This year both are nonexistent.  

As a matter of fact, we have no pollinators whatsoever.  I am afraid I am going to have to take a brush out to the garden and hand pollinate everything.  Our fruit trees, the redbuds, and the honeysuckle are usually buzzing (literally) with activity.  This year, nothing.  And we have no fruit forming on the trees.

Normally the area around the duck pen would be teeming with flies.  We have a few gnats but no flies.  Despite the alternating rain and sunny weather we have no horse flies.  

Anyone else noticing this?  My husband says I am being an alarmist.  Maybe so, but I am alarmed!