Observations on nature
We have a Kilmarnock willow in our garden which is a veritable habitat for ladybirds, greenfly aphids and the ants that milk them for honeydew and tiny iridescent greeny-black beetles which have left brown patches on the leaves. Now we have a big crop of insects that cluster together in mats along the underside of the branches, and are attracting wasps to feed on their honeydew. They are 2-3mm long and half as wide, wedge-shaped, greyish with a few darker spots, long legs and antennae, and some have sprouted wings.
... Barbara Delahunty, Co Wexford
You have an infestation of blackfly aphids not welcomed by gardeners.
I picked blackberries in a field, and rinsed and dried them before freezing. I noticed some little maggot-like creatures had come out of the berries, so are they safe to eat?
Geraldine Clooney, Dungarvan, Co Waterford
They are the larvae of the raspberry beetle, and perfectly harmless when you don't know they are there. The eggs were laid in the buds of the blackberry bushes and hatched in the fruit.