Now this is more my thing and it was utterly delightful to receive, to make and soon I will have the pleasure of putting it up in the lottie. Plus I get a cute little tin to keep essentials in like plasters and antiseptic wipes or maybe all the labels and pencils etc... It's a great wee gift and this, my friends I would recommend. :)
Look how cute the tin alone is and the contents are laid out so prettily too. I got stuck into building my Bug House right away and it was delightfully easy and I'm super pleased with the results and the 2 ladybirds that came with it = adorable!!
Ok, I am quite sure bugs aren't that fussed on how beautiful their homes are but darn it I'll try anything to welcome on board and help us fight the enemies...
I'm in a love bug mood these past few weeks since I started to clear up the embarrassing messy parts for the plots. We are seriously lacking in helpful bugs and though I made a makeshift bug house years ago and purposely put lots of grass and stones under our shed for bugs - we seem to have counted 4 ladybirds between us, 2 frogs (yay!!), lots of bees but not much more than that :( I want more good bugs! (Who ever thought I'd say that!!) The leatherbacks and those damned New Zealand flatworms of the past 2 years have destroyed the lovely balance.
So here is my Bangor Blue slate hotel which also has lots of dead and decaying leaves in and around it since I took this photo. On the other side of the wee fence is this pile of rotting wood and an old pipe where a frog has been living.
Plus we have a ready rotten log over on 14b where our other frog lives and lots of woodlice etc and I have been leaving the artichokes to flower to try and encourage butterflies and bees etc. Next year there shall be sunflowers too (I forgot them this year) and more echinacea and black eyed susans etc. Yes 2 frogs *happy dance* and you know why I'm so happy - they eat loads of insects and nasty creatures and the ultimate enemy, Slugs and Snails!!!!!! Hurrah
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| Is it just me or are the slugs much bigger this year?? |
"A surprisingly wide variety of invertebrates including nesting mason bees and leafcutter bees, woodlice hiding from the sun – and woodlice spiders hunting woodlice, earwigs hiding their babies from predators, ladybirds and lacewings hibernating over winter, beetle larvae feeding on the dead wood, funnel web spiders spinning their traps and centipedes hunting down their prey."
Good stuff I say :)
Thank you Prezzy box for increasing our chances of more friendly, useful bugs on the plots and as for the flower grenades - well I have taken the seed out of the clay containers and shall be scattering them this weekend over by the field boundary.
Hugs and best wishes to all
Namaste
A much nicer gift - I agree and hope it attracts all those friendly mini beasts
ReplyDeleteTry growing dill or bronze fennel..we had more bees than we knew what to do with and the best apple crop we've ever had!
ReplyDeleteLovely. I really need to do some more things for insects on my plot. I dug a little pond at home, and the frogs love it. They've taken up residence nearby, and any time they're disturbed they fly into the water. I'm aiming to make a logpile at home near the pond as well. Last summer we did have a toad at the allotment - it's right next to the stream - but I've not seen him this year.
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing! Thank you so much for reviewing this for us Carrie, and I'm glad we've been able to sort out any misunderstanding from the last gift! I hope you enjoy building your bug house and attracting lots of insects! Thank you :)
ReplyDeleteJo @ Prezzybox!
xx
That's good of them, they never responded to two emails that I sent.
ReplyDeleteA nice, smiley post and photos.
You forget(!) the sunflowers...see my post today. Flighty xx
Much much cuter. Waaaay cuter!
ReplyDeleteYou've been busy clearing up here and there on the plot. Can't wait to see what you and Andrew will do for a bench or with that slate!
I had to laugh a bit when I read your review of the "flower bomb" thing. I see what they're trying to do, but maybe misjudged their target market's sensibilities slightly?! This is more like it; hope you get a full house before long.
ReplyDeleteI have one like this and the leaf cutter bees love them. Do you know I have been looking for a piece of slate for ages to become a cheeseboard!! (I bought a chalk marker to write down the different cheeses but just need the slate). I'll have to make a trip to an allotment nearby and see if anyone else is clearing up - shame you are not close by. xx
ReplyDeleteStopped by say hello and saw no new post, but there were plenty I've missed so I just scrolled down. I'm impressed that the company responded in the way they did. I doubt this would happen in the States.
ReplyDeleteI also like this gift much better. Funny me when you mentioned the lady bugs that came with the house, I wondered how they to get real ladybugs through the mail and then I saw the bugs ON the house:~)
Too bad frogs don't travel -- I'd be glad to send some of mine to you. I guess living through a wet summer has definitely increased our frog population. Then again, even if I could send one, I'm not sure I'd know a good frog from a bad frog regarding gardening or are they all good?
:~)
I LOVE bugs and frogs and snails!! There are so many easy ways to make a bug home, I wouldnt even bother with a commercially manufactured one, but getting it for free is sure great! :D Good luck with attracting your invertebrate and vertebrate friends! Try to have something in flower at all times and they will come.Definitely will.
ReplyDelete