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[purplenanny]

When I use slug pellets I put an up-turned wire hanging basket over the area to stop birds/hedgehogs/cats - one only needs a small area for the pellets, no need to throw them every where.

I soaked dried meal worms this afternoon and they are now in a dish outside the back door  ………

Blood worms can be found in compost heaps.  Drop them into the water and watch the newts devour them  …….. you may find that very small pieces of cat food works too.

I will try the cat food in the morning. I have just been looking online to get some blood worms and getting confused  which would be best: frozen, freeze dried or fresh(reviews say these arrive dead    )

Good luck with getting your hedgehog!

[CLKD]

Dig in your garden  - small pieces of worm will be enough and make sure that they get eaten or you may need to clean out your water again.  I use a company in Sheffield that supplies the reptile trade …. they supply all types of wormy thingies ……… 

[ariadne]

I was filling a watering can from my newish water butt when the water stopped running. Funny, I thought, it cant have any muck in it yet but when I looked, I saw little legs wriggling from the tap followed by more legs- it was a small newt! How on earth did he get in there as the butt is filled from the gutters. Dont newts like to be out of water for long periods- I was upset at the thought of him paddling like mad with no way to get out of the water 

I took him to my allotment pond 

Ariadne xx

[CLKD]

Maybe on the feet/beak of a bird which dropped the critter …..

Interestingly - the birds ignored the soaked dried mealworms and would only take those live ones I fed at my feet today.

[ariadne]

Maybe on the feet/beak of a bird which dropped the critter …..

Aha- good thinking Sherlock 

Ariadne xx

[CLKD]

So long as pigs don't begin flying we'll be OK 

Certainly eggs arrive on the feet of birds …… which is why things get moved around locally

Earlier this evening I saw 2 herons flying much higher than I've ever seen before - circling like vultures or European storks …..

[purplenanny]

I purchased some live Daphnia today, to feed the newts. Apparently blood worms turn into mosquitos so it was suggested I did not get those! Daphnia apparently will breed in the pond (if not eaten) and they live off the debris. All in all a win win situation I think.

Just a little nervous of having these live critters in my fridge

[CLKD]

Put them all into the pond in the morning 

[Taz2]

Are the newts still in the pond? Ours have gone now leaving just their eggs behind. Found one in the flower bed this morning - a newt not an egg!

Circling herons here too CLKD https://vimeo.com/87798571 

Taz x

[purplenanny]

I don't know Taz, I put the Daphnia in earlier and will put the rest in tomorrow morning when I will take a good look to see if there are any newts in there. I guess I must have destroyed their eggs and I feel awful about that. I just didn't know they were there

[Taz2]

It can't be helped purplenanny. You were just trying to tidy up the pond ready for summer. It's always difficult choosing the right time. There's always something that will be disturbed. We do ours every two to three years. There's useful advice here about the best time and how to do it https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=447.

Taz x

[CLKD]

   the newts will return 

In our garden right now, the breeze is chilly but the sun warm - shade/sun, shade/sun 

[purplenanny]

Thanks Taz and CLKD
I saw one today on the rocks in the pond so I now know there is at least one!

[CLKD]

I am slouched on our settee watching the Discovery apple tree blossom opening - but there are very few bees around 
There's also a Very Dark Cloud out there 

[Galadriel]

Woken up by a Cuckoo giving it laldy in the field next to us. Great to hear it's arrived safe and sound but after a minute of non-stop cuckooing.... Enough already 

Galadriel x