I just texted my mum to say I've only just realised there's no sign of a single apple or pear on my trees this year, & she replied saying there've been no insects around.

I've lost track since giving up my allotment. I don't like the sound of there being no insects about. Has anyone else noticed this?

I have noticed that the Rowan in my garden has already started dropping it's leaves.
Summer never even left an IOU!

We're looking at a really bad year here too There was blossom but straight after, the temp went right down, the trees got battered by winds and rain and the results seem to have ruined our crop

Even our blackcurrants have suffered. Did well for gooseberries though and the tayberries are still cropping heavily.

There is a place a 1/2 mile back from me that has some apple trees... can't recall seeing any apples on it this year though. Will have to go back and check again.

And I know what your insect problem is Gilly... I got 'em all

I swear, I read the title of this thread as "fruity cops". I can't pretend I'm not a little disappointed.

It's hardly surprising, given the f*cked up weather we've had this year. I don't care what anyone says about it, someone is fekking with it.

I have no plumbs coming at all this year. Had a grand total of about 6 blackcurrants and two raspberries. I have spotted a couple of large apples on my neighbours tree though (a bit jealous).

My blueberry bush has been amazing though, I have never had this much fruit from it.

So the consensus seems to be that the bad harvests are all purely down to the weather then? As bad as the weather's been, I'm a bit relieved that nobody (except my mum) has noticed anything regarding a shortage of small beasties to help pollinate. That would be more scary in my mind.

LesleyPumpshaft wrote:
Man, I'm so jealous! There are some huge blueberry bushes(trees, rather) behind my house and I never get any because of the birds, deer, ect. Squirrels notoriously get my figs just to spite me; seriously, they take a bite outta each ripe fig and drop it on the ground! There are also muscadine vines everywhere but I haven't gotten any in awhile thanks to the competition(that doesn't have to commute into work every day).

I swear, between weather, pests, and other animals...I don't know how man ever lived off the land!

@ Gilly, I live in a forest in the UK, so there are plenty of bugs here. Lots of people keep bees locally and I've seen plenty of bumble bees and hover flies this year. It's not been great for butterflies and moths though.

@ K-bone, I only have a bush in a pot, but for the last couple of weeks I've been picking blueberries every day. At the height of it I was getting about 3 handfuls per day. Nothing grand, but it's been providing some tasty snacks

The birds were all over it one day, so I banged on the kitchen window and told them to leave it alone. It seemed to work

LesleyPumpshaft wrote:
You might try sticking this up in the window instead:



Ain't no birds stooopid enough to mess with the sketti-monster.

LesleyPumpshaft wrote:
Isn't true that if there's an excess of berries during the summer it's so the birds can stock up because a very harsh winter is on the horizon?
I heard that somewhere at sometime so don't hold me to it