Beekeeper’s Notes July 2017: Try The Windscreen Test!

Published on: 1 Jul, 2017
Updated on: 30 Jun, 2017

Hugh Coakley keeps bees in Worplesdon. In the latest of his monthly notes, he talks about the windscreen test for counting insects.

I remember many years ago driving towards the coast with my brothers and sisters on our holidays. We sang the Cliff Richard song Summer Holiday at the tops of our voices and fought to be the first to declare that we could see the sea.

No seatbelts in the Bedford van, no suntan lotion (but massive sun blisters and burnt skin which us kids took great delight in popping and peeling) and no worries – Oh happy days.

The bees have loved the blackberry flowers this month. Click on the images to enlarge them.

At the end of the journey, the windscreen would be covered by the gory remains of all types of insects splattered against the glass. There would be a lot of scrubbing for the homeward journey but that was normal.

Does it happen now?

Not to the same extent. Is that because windscreen wipers and washers are so much better? I am not sure that we even had washers in those days. Or is it because we have fewer insects flying?

It was brought to mind this month when we had a minor invasion of ants into our kitchen. we ‘upped’ our cleaning up after meals and sprayed around the entry points but they kept on coming. We bought a little anti-ant cassette which we placed as instructed on the kitchen worktop and, hey presto, they stopped.

Amazed at how effective it was, I read the packet in more detail. Apparently, the ants take the poison back to their nest and it wipes out the nest. I didn’t just stop them coming into my kitchen, I had wiped them out.

I had taken the ant version of the nuclear option.

Moving between flowers.

We read about farming methods affecting wildlife habitat. It isn’t just them, it is me also. It made me think.

It isn’t scientific but try the windscreen test. There are no prizes but it might point to us taking kinder ways of living with our wildlife neighbours.

Happy driving.

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