Our new wildlife pond

Nonsense @burnie, sure you retired from engineering at the age of about 35 and that was only about two years ago! We are all young and jolly active gardeners on this forum. Tee hee

Are there stag beetles in your area? If so, it's amazing how quickly they arrive if you have some half buried wood.

 

I do have rotting wood in the garden, but only seem to be breeding Wood Louse and Centipedes and Millipedes, all of which my Grandsons used to find fascinating.

 

Guess we were all fascinated when we were young, all those legs I suppose and the wood Louse rolling into a ball. Maybe you have stag beetle larvae in there. I think they take 6 or 7 years to emerge as beetles. Amazing, and then they live for a few weeks.

 

Ray Mears reckons you can eat Woodlice, taste like Shrimps apparently, I have a lot of the wee blighters, but not enough for tea, so they are safe...........................for now lol.

 

Well, the excitement! Had a quick net dip in biggest wildlife pond and the newts are in residence.

Took a couple of photos, then left them in peace. Looks like they are ready to breed as the chap has got his frilly suit on to attract the girls. Hoping to get around 14 or 16 breeding in there as this is the usual number. Fingers crossed.

Amazing the grass snakes that live up the top end near this pond don't get them.

3 frogs still in one of the other ponds they have always used for spawn but still just the 3 chaps, now silent, as no girls came to join the party. Sad news, but at least the newts are back.

 

That's good news @Dahlia Queen

I keep looking in my ponds but the only thing I see is pond snails

 

It is fab news isn't it @Sienna's Blossom.
Don't worry, sure newts will arrive. If you have snails that is a good start. Several of my friends don't seem to have any pond snails at all. Keep wanting to steal some of mine!
Can't wait to see a photo when the newts do decide to visit you. Fingers crossed it is soon.

 

Just been back to have another quick dip. Dragonfly larvae I think. Put back straight away after a quick photo.

 

While I agree with you they should be banned, they are not in general use; the Government has again allowed an emergency use exemption for seed treatment of sugar beet to give protection from aphids that carry virus yellows. This disease stunts the growth and severely affects the yield, usage of the neonicotinoid seed treatment for sugar beet means the farmer is restricted as to what he can grow the next season having to avoid insect pollinated crops ( maybe for as long as three years I can't remember)
Seed companies are trying to breed virus yellows resistant sugar beet, gene editing may speed this up if allowed.
There are also problems with oil seed rape and the effect of flea beatle on yield.

 

Thanks for the explanation @NigelJ, let's hope the seed companies have some luck with the breeding of resistant beet.

 

Does gene editing come under the heading of Genetically modified crops.
If it does they wont like that either.

 

Really good question; certainly in the EU it currently does. I think in the UK the Government is considering it as a different technology to genetic engineering.

 

@pete just seen this Commercial development of gene-edited food now legal in England so gene editing would seem to be legal.

 

Am I to understand that gene edited is not genetically modified. Or have I got it all wrong. V

 

So its different then to Genetically modified.

I'm waiting for the day they can stick a hardiness gene into otherwise tender plants, but not holding my breath.