Bumblebee sex? The Echinops and Sunflower bed in daylight.

This is the flower bed I was talking about last night

 In daylight it is even more smothered in bumblebees and butterflies than at dusk.

I spend ages watching what is going on and find the variety of different bumblebees incredible and I always see something new.

After I watched the bees and the butterfly for a bit, I then saw a most unusual sight - I am not sure what was going on here, whether it was a pair of Bumblebees fighting, or mating.

but a very large bumblebee had a smaller bumblebee on its back and the smaller one on top did not want to get off! Another bee was hanging around them as well. Probably mating related I think.

The pair went round and round this flower head several times in a cinch, until eventually the smaller bee unclasped itself and flew off.

The larger bee stayed on the flower for a few more moments then flew off as well.

Fascinating :)

Crafting with Scotch.

No, not with alcohol! I was sent some Scotch Super Glues to try out recently.

I love these bug eyes - I take them out on my composting stall. I have viewing pots with compost samples inside, so people can see the insects which do the composting and live in a compost heap. Then the people can put on the bug eyes  and "see" in the same way as an insect does. When the bug eyes got broken a few months back I was really sad.

But..a bit of the new Super Glue gel from Scotch along the line of the break and they were fixed!

I am so pleased :)

The bottle draws the liquid back in when you stop squeezing. Perfect for stopping your designs getting ruined by excess glue! It also eliminates the frustration of dried glue around the tip of the bottle. The Scotch Super Glue Precision Applicator apparently uses a ‘stay-fresh’ bottle that prevents the glue from drying out on the inside.

I am sure the Scotch Super Glue gel ( and the other bottle of Super Glue liquid I was sent) will be really useful for fixing lots of other stuff I have stored away, waiting for a rainy day to make me get fixing. I am so impressed after using it to fix my bug eyes as it didn't make a mess, it went where I wanted it to, and unlike other experiences I have had of super glue  - it didn't stick anything apart from what I wanted it to stick.

Not sure I would let Compostgirl use it yet (at 12 she is maybe still a bit young for super glue?), but for adult use it was very good stuff indeed.

Thumbs (unstuck) up for 3M Scotch Super Glue.


 Disclaimer -I was sent a free sample of Scotch Super glue gel and liquid to review. This post originally appeared ( in an expanded form) on The Compost Bin but I thought it might be useful over here as well. As always, the words I write are my own and are my honest opinions.

Huge numbers of Bumblebees.

Tonight, as I was heading back to the house after hen shutting up and polytunnel watering duties, I stopped to admire the sheer number of bees on the perennial Sunflowers and Globe thistle.

We have a huge bed of them by the garage and the Thistle in particular is simply smothered in Bumblebees.

I must take some photos in daylight!

I finally cracked...

ha ha 

and tonight , despite a very aching bad back. went out and drove around a fair bit of my local patch in order to get four fertile eggs for Nutmeg my broody, 5 year old, virtually stopped laying eggs, ginger hybrid, (never had one gone broody before). She is now settled on them and gave an aprreciative purr after I put them under her

Watching her tuck the eggs under her, croon a bit and "nestle down" on them made my back ache from driving to get the eggs ( thank you Jo at Hansnett farm ) worth while

The things I do for my hens.

 She was SO pleased and  I feel very happy that I could make her so content

*If* ( big ask I know) she manages to hatch them I will have a very interesting mix of chicks - but am not counting my chicks before they have hatched,...! Just happy to let her try to do what Nature is asking of her

Crafting with Scotch. Thumbs (unstuck) up

No, not with alcohol! I was sent some Scotch Super Glues to try out recently.

I love these bug eyes - I take them out on my composting stall. I have viewing pots with compost samples inside, so people can see the insects which do the composting and live in a compost heap. Then the people can put on the bug eyes  and "see" in the same way as an insect does. When the bug eyes got broken a few months back I was really sad.

But..a bit of the new Super Glue gel from Scotch along the line of the break and they were fixed!

I am so pleased :)

The bottle uses clever droplet technology, which draws the liquid back in when you stop squeezing. Perfect for stopping your designs getting ruined by excess glue! It also eliminates the frustration of dried glue around the tip of the bottle.

And because 3M knows that you want to be able to use the glue time and time again, Scotch Super Glue Precision Applicator uses a ‘stay-fresh’ bottle that prevents the glue from drying out on the inside.

I am sure the Scotch Super Glue gel ( and the other bottle of Super Glue liquid I was sent) will be really useful for fixing lots of other stuff I have stored away, waiting for a rainy day to make me get fixing...

Watch this space...it has been raining today and I have a lot of stuff needing glueing and I am so impressed with the Scotch Super glue gel after using it to fix my bug eyes as it didn't make a mess, it went where I wanted it to, and unlike other experiences I have had of super glue  - it didn't stick anything apart from what I wanted it to stick.

Not sure I would let Compostgirl use it yet ( she is maybe still a bit young for  super glue) , but for adult use it was very good stuff indeed.

Thumbs (unstuck) up so far for 3M scotch Super Glue.