Watching Countryfile - I've always adored bees (honey is nectar) and as I get older more and more trees are my favourite species. I think a world where trees were the dominant species would suit me fine. I'll be an oak please.

Me too. That Adam chap - with his wildlife centre in the Cotswolds, is excellent.

As are the Cotswolds themselves - <100 miles from London to the Chippings.

JK2006 wrote:
Watching Countryfile - I've always adored bees (honey is nectar) and as I get older more and more trees are my favourite species. I think a world where trees were the dominant species would suit me fine. I'll be an oak please. I'll be a Giant Redwood. No bastard will chop me down. Starmer would be one of those sickly sprigs you see at the side of the road.

Without bees we are doomed.

They are wonderful things even though I still remember being stung by one as a kid.

I haven't seen too many bees this year, despite having wild flowers. I do have a new who is obessed with weed killers and pesticides, she says weeds annoy her.

I have got to the stage where I try not to kill anything. Flies aren't a problem as I spray window frames with white vinegar. Keeps them out. It also deters spiders. Last Summer a rogue fly-that managed to get through the windows- got trapped inside an old mechanical clock I have. Lord knows how it got into the workings. I actually broke the clock face open so the fly could escape and not suffer. Death is one thing. Suffering is another.

Downing Street Cat wrote:
I have got to the stage where I try not to kill anything. Flies aren't a problem as I spray window frames with white vinegar. Keeps them out. It also deters spiders. Last Summer a rogue fly-that managed to get through the windows- got trapped inside an old mechanical clock I have. Lord knows how it got into the workings. I actually broke the clock face open so the fly could escape and not suffer. Death is one thing. Suffering is another.

If it was Starmer's clock he would find a way to tax the fly.

I see flies as food for spiders in the garden, I do have few caterpillars who have found a nest place in a garden ornament. I do keep dandelions in the garden for as long as possible.

Downing Street Cat wrote:
I have got to the stage where I try not to kill anything. Flies aren't a problem as I spray window frames with white vinegar. Keeps them out. It also deters spiders. Last Summer a rogue fly-that managed to get through the windows- got trapped inside an old mechanical clock I have. Lord knows how it got into the workings. I actually broke the clock face open so the fly could escape and not suffer. Death is one thing. Suffering is another.

Does vinegar work on cockroaches?

I have a small infestation of the very small ones (thankfully not the ginormous German Cockroches)

Had pest control in twice but still find an occasional small one.

I know what you mean about killing even insects. Especially after I read a journalist interviewing the Dalia Lama and how he stopped to prey over an injured Praying Mantis.

hedda wrote:
Downing Street Cat wrote:
I have got to the stage where I try not to kill anything. Flies aren't a problem as I spray window frames with white vinegar. Keeps them out. It also deters spiders. Last Summer a rogue fly-that managed to get through the windows- got trapped inside an old mechanical clock I have. Lord knows how it got into the workings. I actually broke the clock face open so the fly could escape and not suffer. Death is one thing. Suffering is another.

Does vinegar work on cockroaches?

I have a small infestation of the very small ones (thankfully not the ginormous German Cockroches)

Had pest control in twice but still find an occasional small one.

I know what you mean about killing even insects. Especially after I read a journalist interviewing the Dalia Lama and how he stopped to prey over an injured Praying Mantis. White vinegar should do the trick Hedda. Like spiders they smell with their feet. From the web...White vinegar does not kill cockroaches, but it can help deter them and serve as a cleaning agent. While vinegar's strong smell is unpleasant to cockroaches, it's not a lethal pesticide. It can be used as a cleaning solution with equal parts vinegar and water, especially in areas where cockroaches are commonly found, to deter them and remove food residues that attract them.