The aerial men came out today.
After months of a pixilated picture all broken up or frozen (on certain channels worse than others) we now have a new aerial, a boost box and clear pictures on the two TVs in the house. It wasn’t cheap, but I hope it’s worth it. We don’t watch a great deal of TV, but it is most frustrating when the one thing that deserves watching is in fact un-watchable because of a poor picture.
Whilst clambering on the roof the TV aerial man discovered that we have a wasp nest in the edge of the roof. The wasps didn’t appreciate his presence. Rather disconcerting for him. If it had been me discovering a swarm of wasps while I was on the roof I’d have fallen off. One good reason I’m not a TV aerial technician.
Anyway the wasp nest discovery explains the changed appearance of the wood on the porch.
They rasp it off (the paler wood is the newly exposed area) and fly away to make their papery nests which are a fantastic feat of construction. I am at once fascinated, intrigued and scared by wasps – so this really is a case of NIMBYT (not in my back yard, thanks) so I shall next have to call in the wasp exterminators. My excuse is that I have a nasty reaction if I’m stung… but at the same time I hate the thought of killing all those amazing creatures.
Here’s a clip showing someone else’s wasps in action
and here they are building the nests.
And on the subject of nests, it appears a tit has taken up residence in one of the swifts nests. Interesting development.
Boadicea's Chariot 
If the owner of that swift’s nest comes home, there’ll be trouble! We’ve been dive-bombed by house-martins just for looking!
No cable round your way?
You have my sympathy about the wasps, they are so bad here we have to have the exterminator on contract 3 x/year. Psycho bastards chased you round the garden previously. Interestingly whatever they use does not kill the bees.
The last time I had the exterminator out I had been stung as I moved a roll of old carpet, in early Spring… they had nested inside it. Despite instant anti-histamines my arm swelled so quickly and then was painful then itchy for a fortnight.
I wonder what it is they use?
We are ‘going digital’ in UK and the aerial was an old type…
I still have to get the wasps’ nests out of the sunbeds before Ferret and Beloved arrive tomorrow evening and the house martins have spent the past half hour nicking water from my pool. Their swooping flying skills continue to amaze and delight me.
OZ
Some of you might like the bees post I put on Outdoors, sorry to advertise but no time to go through putting it here just now.