Five Common Garden Insect Pests

1. Aphids- Ahpididae sp.

They are among the most destructive insect pests on cultivated plants. About 4,400 species are known, all included in the family Ahpididae.
250 species are very harmful pests for agriculture and forestry as well as gardeners. Aphids are ladybug's favourite food. If you have any ladybugs I recommend you place them where the aphids are.




2. Large white - Pieris brassicae

The large white is common throughout Europe,
 North Africa, Asia and even through the Himalayas. They are often found in agricultural areas, meadows and parkland. The large white eggs appear as a pale yellow colour. Their wing span reaches 5 to 7 cm on average.

 

 3. Whiteflies - Aleyrodidae sp.

There a more than 1500 species of whiteflies.
They are small hemipterans that typically feed     on undersides of plant leaves. The stage before     the adult is called a pupa. Though it shares little in common with the pupal stage.            






4. Garden snail - Cornu aspersum


Garden snails are one of the most common species of snails. The snail is relished as a food item in some areas, but is also widely regarded as a pest in gardens. You normally see them after a shower or a storm. The female lays around
80 pearly-white eggs. You normally find them under damp logs, or in the soil.




5. Colorado potato beetles - Leptinotarsa decemlineata


It's annoying that these beetles are such pesky garden pests, as they are very pretty insects. They are stripped in a bright yellow and orange uniform. Their favourite plants to invade are: aubergines, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes. Signs of Colorado potato beetle infestations include ragged leaves and in serious cases tripped stems.






Check out my video of wildlife in February

Ladybug Update

Whilst observing the ladybug tank I noticed there was condensation all over the glass walls and there was also quit a bit of mold on the leafs and sticks. I read on the internet that ladybugs don't like damp environments. Immediately I removed all wet items that where in the tank: plants and wet soil. After I had removed the wet objects I decided whilst I was at it I might as well remove all the items and add new ones in. A couple of the objects, such as the pieces of bark with holes in them and hollowed out sticks had ladybugs bundled together already hibernating. I intend to keep a eye on the tank, to insure it doesn't happen again.

A few of my lady bugs

Five Rarest Animals On Earth

5 - Philippine Warty Pig - Sus philippensis    

There are only a couple of  hundred left in the wild. It was formerly found in habitats from sea level up to 2800 metres, but is now confined to remote forests due to loss of habitat and heavy hunting by noose traps or trigger set bullets.





 




4 - Florida Panther - Puma concolor

In the 1970's there were estimated to be 20 Florida Panthers in the wild, and their numbers have increased to an estimated 100 to 160. In 2013, it was reported that there were only 160 left in the wild. They live in forests and swaps of southern Florida.  Their main diet is: hares, mice, white tailed dear, wild boar and even the American alligator.

3 - White lion - Panther leokrugeri

Not seen in the wild since 1994, these lions
are not albinos and are native to the Timbavati
region of Africa. It is widely believed that
these lions cannot survive in the wild.









2 - Snow leapord -   Panthera unica

A very rare sight in the wild, when two snow leopard cubs were photographed in the mountains of Tajikistan, last year it got
a lot of media attention. There are between 3,920 and 6,390 individuals in the wild. Snow leopards are slightly smaller than any other big cats.
   






1 - Giant squid - genus Architeuthis

The first video of this legendary creature was recently taken by Japanese scientists nearly a kilometer below the surface of the ocean. Recent estimates put the maximum size at a humongous 13 m for females and 10 m for males.

                





Please check out my new video :)

Pine Processionary Caterpillers Marching

Whilst my uncle,cousin,friend and I went for a walk we came across to some squished Pine Processionary Caterpillars (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) which is unusual in February as they should still be in their nests. There were at least sixty,which was very exiting for me as I have never seen them before.

We walked a little more on when my cousin shouted out 'LOOK THEY ARE ALIVE'. I ran to them and saw one of the most amazing things I have ever seen, they were marching in a straight line. My dad and I have been longing to see them marching ever since we learn't about them a few years ago.
To see my previous post about these caterpillars click here

Unfortunately my dad wasn't with us, and what was worse I didn't have my camera!!! So I ran home to get my dad and the camera.

Me and my dad drove back to the place and got some video of the caterpillars marching.
The more we looked the more we found, some of them had been squished and some of the marching lines went deep back into the forest.
A couple of days later we coming back from bowling when we saw a nest of these caterpillars on a short pine tree it was easy to take off. When you see them up close they look huge!

 Here is a video I made

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5 Most Common Garden Birds in UK (2015)

5 - House sparrow - Passer domesticus

When fully grown the bird is around 16 cm long.
Females and young birds are pale brown and grey. Males have brighter black,white and brown markings.The adults mainly eat seeds of grain and weeds,but will eat any thing they can find. Their favorite foods are oats and wheat. Females normally lay around four to five eggs.











4 - Common Starling - Sturnus vulgaris

The common starling is 19-23 cm long with a wing span
of  31-44 cm!! The starling eats a lot of creatures such as
spiders,craneflies, moths, mayflies, dragonflies, grasshopers and manny more. Breeding takes place in spring and summer. The females lay on a daily basis. The young are born blind and naked, they will be able to see nine days after birth.











3 - Common Black Bird - Turdus merula

The common black bird is 23.5 - 29 cm long.
The male black bird defends its breeding territory, chasing away other males. The female lays 3 to 5 bluish green eggs marked with reddish-brown blotches.A common black bird has a life expectancy of  2.4 years! Based on data form bird ringing the oldest record is 21 years and 10 months!      
Amazing, right?????





2 - Blue tit - Paridae sp.

A wonderful mix of blue, yellow, white and green makes the blue tit one of our most attractive and most recognizable garden visitors. In the winter, family flocks join up with other tits and search for food.







1 - Common Wood pigeon -  Columba palumbus

They mainly eat vegetables, taken from fields,gardens and lawns.
Young shoots and seedlings are their favorite food. In the autumn they will eat figs and acorns. They will also eat grubs,flies, ants and even slow worms!! The female will normally lay around two eggs. They will take around 19 days to hatch.
  



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My Top Five Favourite Reptiles from Bulgaria

5 -  Loggerhead sea turtle - Caretta caretta

They have been recorded twice along the black sea coast!  It is the world's second largest hard- shelled turtle! The turtle is omnivorous, feeding mainly on bottom dwelling invertebrates,
such as: star fish, sea cucumbers, fish, sea worms and many more!
I have never seen this reptile.

4 - European legless lizard - Pseudopus apodus

  This lizard can reach up to 135 cm! Their favourite foods are: snails, slugs and even small mammals which might be the reason they are mainly active when there is wet weather.
They will bite, musk and hiss if thought to be threatened.
I have never found this reptile.

3 - Kotshy's gecko - Cyrtopodion kotschyi

It is a very small lizard growing to a length of 10 cm including its tail!! Females are often a little bit bigger then the males. Its habitats are: cliffs, dry stone areas, tree trunks and stone walls. They are normally nocturnal, but at cooler times of the year they will come out in the day. The female will lay one or two eggs under a rock. When born (after 18 weeks or so) they will be around two cm long!!!!! I have seen this reptile once!

My friend bought into school. He put it in an awful plastic box without any holes. I had a go at him for being so silly and in annoyance, I snatched the box and took out the gecko
I checked if it was alright, it looked fine but I didn't want to give it back to the boy.
So I made a RUN FOR IT!!! LOL and left him there with his box.
When I got home I placed him on a rock near my pond.

2 - Four- lined snake - Elaphe quatuorlineata

Adults usually grow up to 180 cm but in extreme cases can reach 200 cm in length.
There is another name for this snake - the Bulgarian rat snake. Their main diet consists of: rabbit, mice and squirrels, lizards, birds and tortoise eggs!!
The mating season lasts from April to May. The eggs are laid in the summer. Usually, the snakes lay between 6 -18 eggs per clutch. They incubate them for about 40 to 60 days.

I have never seen this reptile!

1 - Dahl's whip snake - Platyceps najadum

Females lay between 3-16 eggs in a clutch!
This snake is threatened by forest fires and intensive agriculture! It has a slim body and in rare cases can be found up to a metre in full length. It lives in desert and rocky landscapes, forests and fields.
I have never seen this reptile, but really want to!

Istanbul - Sea Life Aquarium Video

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