Ants

[Dave]

For quite some time now, we have been plagued with ants coming into the house. This year, we have seen none. Did the cold winter kill them off?

Dave

[Bob Minchin]

No, they have come over to our place. lots of flying ones too.

Bob

[Tim Lamb]

In message , Dave writes

Last years fliers have started nests all over our lawn. Now we have regular visits by a Green Woodpecker and the yard was full of Martins this afternoon: presumably enjoying the next crop.

regards

[Matty F]

Did you have a cold winter? The BBC and Guardian and University of East Anglia keep saying how hot the world has been getting. Are they lying?

[Dave]

In the North West of England it was very cold and dry, it was the dry bit that started me coughing.

Dave

[The Natural Philosopher]

The two statements are not inconsistent.

[geoff]

Yeah, swarmed here on monday

[Matty F]

It looks like there was a lot of snow all over England:

[Dave Liquorice]

May well have reduced the number over wintering if not completelky killed 'em off. We don't have ants, ever. We do get cold by low land UK winters being at 1400'.

We had periods of several days where the temperature didn't rise above 0C and minimums well below -10C. Level lying snow out in the middle of the fields was at least 18", where it had drifted against the 5' drystone walls it had completely buried them. The entire countryside became smooth an white.

You need to find out the difference between "weather" and "climate".

[Matty F]

Weather is when it gets cold, and climate is when it gets hot. :)

[The Natural Philosopher]

Too right. Been a lot of climate this year in Khazakstan...wheat futures through the roof.

[Dave]

few inches of snow.Trouble was, the sun came out and softened it a bit than the night frost turned it into near ice. It was impossible to drive across established ruts on untreated roads and I got my car stuck and that was on the South coast close to the Isle of Wight. All the way home that night, I kept pushing the outside temperature button on the climate control panel just to see if the outside temp had gone below zero C.

Dave

[Jim K]

smirk - you have to press a button?!?!

Jim K

[Dave]

Yes, otherwise it tells what temp I have set for the interior. It does have a frost warning symbol that comes on at zero degrees C.

Dave

[Huge]

My TVR has a frost warning symbol that comes on at random. :o(