Tuesday 12 May 2015

A Walk Round the Garden..

We may no longer have the flocks of Goldfinch coming to the garden for food, but our Goldfinch rose is now out in full bloom..

The foxgloves we sowed from seed, collected in our garden in England, are just beginning to flower..


And the large red poppies have their very distinctive buds hanging ready to open in a few days..

In the front garden I spotted this Small Copper, the first we've seen this season..

We're not sure whether we should be pleased or not at the next sighting..

These bugs were on the stem of a climbing plant and are about the size of a ladybird. They were accompanied by several ants..

Can anyone advise please?

4 comments:

GaynorB said...

Sorry, I don't know anything about the bugs but I'm sure Susan or Tim/Pauline will.
The garden is looking wonderful!

Susan said...

I don't recognise them. Were they mobile? Or are they pupae and fixed to the branch waiting to hatch?

Colin and Elizabeth said...

Susan, they don't appear mobile. When I looked best I could find was this. http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_softbugs/BlackScale.htm

I have picked one or two off and they are 'dusty'!!

Tim said...

You are right ...
they are scale insects....
you will need to soft soap them...
and scrape off any that are accessible...
I don't think that the ants had anything to do with these...
they don't exude honeydew...
if the ants were "in convoy"...
check at bud tips, young shoots for aphid.