David Domoney

Category: Homepage

A list of blogs from the home page David Domoney. David is a Chartered Horticulturalist with over 40 years of experience growing and caring for plants. David has also worked on UK national television for over 2 decades. As a garden designer, David has won over 30 RHS medals for his garden designs at leading UK gardening shows and events.

  • Rescuing the bees: What to do if you find a wild bee colony

    Rescuing the bees: What to do if you find a wild bee colony

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    No doubt some of you know that I’m a beekeeper. I got my first colony in 2014 and now have three hives. Bees are vital for the environment and ecosystem as pollinators, and so much fun to keep!

    But beekeeping is not just about looking after your own bees. Sometimes bee colonies set up home in the wild, often in houses, sheds and gardens. Experienced beekeepers can rescue wild bee colonies and move them to safety in a managed hive. bees David Domoney

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    Rescuing a wild bee colony

    Just last week, a farmer found a wild colony when he was cutting a hedge along a roadside near Stratford-upon-Avon. He chopped off the top and discovered an active colony nestled among the branches.

    He contacted a beekeeping farmer, who put him in touch with Brian Donley, chairperson of the Stratford and District Beekeeping Association.

    Brian set out to visit the colony to assess the situation and what equipment was needed. The next day he returned and cut some of the hedge away. Then he was able to lift out the combs.

    He placed it in type of beehive called a national hive with a double brood chamber. It’s a large one to take the length of the six combs the colony had built.

    The cold weather meant that the bees remained tightly clustered and none of them flew out to try and defend their home. You can see them between the combs in the image below.

    The colony is now back in Brian’s apiary with a big block of baker’s fondant on top. The bees were close to starving after spending so long withstanding frosty temperatures in the hedge. Now they have a safe home and plenty of food to build up their strength.

    Brian estimates that the bees had probably been living in the hedge since last summer, because the comb was still a white-yellow colour and pretty clean.

    It is unusual for a wild colony to set up home out in the open like this. And even more so for the bees to have survived this long into the winter, especially with all the wet and freezing cold we have had recently.

    Alternatively check out the BBKA’s list of events to find out what’s on near you.

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    What should I do if I find a wild bee colony?

    Finding a wild bee colony in a hedge is fairly rare. Bees usually build hives in hollow trees, but there aren’t many of those left today. Most of the time when people find a wild bee colony, they have set up home in a brick cavity in a house or down a chimney.

    But if you do find wild bees in your house, garden, property or on your land, Brian’s advice is to leave them well alone! Contact your local beekeeping association with the details from the British Beekeeping Association website (BBKA).

    It’s a charity that will send a volunteer beekeeper to check over the site and safely remove the colony.

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    How do I become a beekeeper?

    Beekeeping is immensely rewarding for gardeners and I love it! You don’t need any formal qualifications to become a beekeeper, but you should join your local beekeeping association – find the details on the BBKA website.

    The associations run local training courses to help you get set up. They will be able to put you in contact with other beekeepers so you can ask for advice and learn from them. They also run taster days throughout the year so you can go along and give it a try.

    If you live locally, come along to the Stratford Association’s Introduction to Beekeeping Course starting in February.

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    For more garden planting ideas, check out my blog:

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    Or check out my Pinterest board for more ideas:

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  • RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch: How to take part in 2016

    RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch: How to take part in 2016

    How to take part in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch!

    Sit and stare out of a window for a whole hour. It sounds lazy, but in fact that’s all you need to do to take part in the world’s largest wildlife survey!

    Join the RSPB on the weekend of 30 and 31 January and spend one hour watching your garden. You simply need to count all the different birds you see and submit your findings.

    What is the Birdwatch?

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    Blackbird eating berries. Blackbirds are common garden birds
    Look out for blackbirds, seen in 90% of gardens

    The Big Garden Birdwatch helps the RSPB develop a clear picture of the UK’s bird wildlife and how it is changing.

    It started as a one-off project for children in 1979. They looked out for birds, filled in a form and posted their findings to the RSPB. But the idea became huge when it was featured on Blue Peter, and 34,000 children sent in their tallies.

    The RSPB decided to continue the project every year. More and more people started taking part, and eventually in 2001 it was opened up to adults too.

    Last year over half a million people took part, making it the largest wildlife survey in the world! Together the participants recorded sightings of over 8.5 million birds.

    Why should I take part?

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    Chaffinch birds can be spotted and counted during the Birdwatch
    Bird species like this chaffinch are recorded

    The Birdwatch was designed to build a snapshot of the UK’s garden bird populations. Thirty years later, it’s a vital project to steer conservation and research efforts. It also raises public awareness of the plight of many garden birds, and encourages more people to make their gardens bird-friendly.

    The Birdwatch has also identified that gardens are hugely important habitats for birds, providing food and shelter that is often crucial to their survival.

    You don’t need to be an expert to take part. You don’t even need binoculars. Order a free pack from the RSPB website here. Alternatively, register your details for easy submissions on the day, and get a £5 discount in the RSPB shop.

    Schools can also take part any day during January. Teachers can find more information here.

    The top 10 birds spotted in 2015

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    House sparrows are the number one Birdwatch bird
    House sparrows took the top spot!

    1. House sparrow
    2. Starling
    3. Blackbird
    4. Blue tit
    5. Wood pigeon
    6. Chaffinch
    7. Robin
    8. Great tit
    9. Goldfinch
    10. Collared dove

    Think you would recognise all these birds? Test your knowledge with our top ten bird quiz!

    Changes over time

    The vast amount of data collected has also given the RSPB chance to track the changes in bird species populations. Some fluctuations can reflect how mild or harsh the weather has been.

    But decades of counting has revealed long-term trends and changes too. Some birds are doing well while other species are declining dangerously.

    Going up

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    Wren bird sightings are rising. Join the Birdwatch here
    Wren sightings were up last year

    • The blackbird was the most widely spotted bird, with over 90% of participants recording one.
    • Robins were seen by 85% of people and moved up three spaces in the top ten list.
    • Wrens saw a dramatic increase in 2015 – double the sightings than in the previous year and the highest number since 2006.

    Going down

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    Starling birds are in decline - take part in the RSPB's Birdwatch
    Starlings have suffered a steep decline

    • Song thrush sightings have fallen to an all-time low and they remain on the red list.
    • Once ubiquitous starlings are also in decline. Though still common, sightings have dropped by 80% since the first Birdwatch.
    • Greenfinches are also suffering because of a disease called trichomonosis. If you spot greenfinches in your garden, help protect them from infection by regularly cleaning bird baths, tables and feeders.

    How do I take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch?

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    Goldfinches are a more common sight in our gardens
    Look out for garden stalwarts like goldfinches

    Spend one hour counting the birds you see in the garden on the weekend of 30-31 January. It is better to do this in the morning when birds are most active.

    You can keep a bird identification book to hand, or look on the RSPB website for the most common birds.

    If you’ll easily recognise most birds, why not see if you can spot any differences between male and female birds, or juvenile and adult?

    Count the birds

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    Wood pigeons are common garden birds. Take part in the Birdwatch this January
    Count how many wood pigeons you see

    For each species, keep a tally of how many you see at once. This means you don’t count the same bird twice. So if you see a blackbird appear three times, you put down one blackbird. If you see two blackbirds together, you put two.

    The birds must land in your garden, not fly over it.

    If you see nothing or very little, still submit your results. The survey wants to know what is missing just as much as what is there.

    Submit your findings to www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch.

    And encourage friends, family and neighbours to take part! The more submissions the better.

    Where to look for birds

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    Starlings on bird feeder during Birdwatch
    Top up bird feeders to attract more birds

    Keep an eye on fences and high walls which make great lookout posts. Many birds will sit a the top of trees.

    Put out some bird food and top-up feeders and bird baths. Birds still need to drink and bathe in cold weather. You can also clear space on the patio and lay some food for ground-feeding birds.

    Enjoy your Big Garden Birdwatch!

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  • Quiz: Can you identify these common garden weeds?

    Quiz: Can you identify these common garden weeds?

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    dandelion seed heads - can you recognise common garden weeds
    Dandelion seed heads – Vasca/Shutterstock.com

    A weed is simply a plant growing in the wrong place. Almost any plant can become a weed if it begins to take over your garden.

    But there are some plants that are almost never welcome. They pop up in lawns, driveways and flower borders and quickly start to take over.

    Weeds are essentially wild plants that have learned to survive in almost any conditions and take nutrients, water, light and space from other plants.

    Keeping on top of weeds is a common garden job. But would you know which plants are weeds and which are nice flowers?

    Take this quiz and identify the common garden weeds!

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