BEE NEWS
Our new stingless bee hive (see last post) continues to do well and all seems to be as promised.
I wanted to get one of the commercially available “bee hotels” for the solitary bees, but there have been negative remarks so I held off and last weekend we revisited Landcare’s Hub at Pomona to look at the one they have in their garden.
This has been in operation for several years. It consists of timber logs that have been randomly placed and drilled to various depths. The orange tubes are local clay rolled in bark, also drilled. The holes vary in diameter and all are successfully catering for various species of solitary bees, wasps, etc. Now, all I need are some logs.
POMONA GARDEN
While in Pomona we visited friends with a beautiful native garden. I know how hard they have worked. It is a credit to them and an example of what can be achieved in only 5 years.
The driveway is lined with Lemon-scented Tea Tree, just coming into flower. The pinky lime new growth makes a fresh inviting entry statement.
The layout is very tidy and formal with manicured lawns, and the garden is dotted with bird and possum boxes and devices to attract the local wildlife.
FROG HOTEL
Meanwhile, back at Cooroibah, we have embarked on a project to attract our local frogs. These frog hotels are well described on the internet. Just google “frog hotels”. Here’s what we did (yesterday)
First, steal the dog’s water bowl. Then cut up lengths of pvc pipe. Stand them up in the bowl and steady with pebbles. Plant a couple of little sedges and fill with water to the top of the pebbles.
The big attraction is the little solar powered light ($3 from Bunnings) that attracts the insects that attract the frogs. After one night, we changed the light to one with a warmer colour and I will probably paint the pipes in a more organic shade…..when I get around to it.
We await developments and I will keep you posted.
Stephanie