Tuesday 13 September 2016

Vendange (Grape Picking).



These grapes are really for decorative purposes only, it's a variety known as Baco. They look nice hanging all around the house, but when September arrives they have to go.

We now have two types of Hornet in our area, the 'ordinary' one, and the newcomer Asian Giant Hornet (it should be noted that the latter has already reached southern England).

These wretched, and dangerous, insects love grapes so they need to be picked and composted, otherwise they'll be buzzing all around, and inside, the house. 


They don't even make very good juice, so they get thrown away and covered with grass cuttings.

Seems a shame, doesn't it.



30 comments:

  1. I can certainly understand wanting to keep those beasties at bay.

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  2. That's too bad! They sure look nice.

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    Replies
    1. Looking nice is their best asset. Otherwise they're a pain.

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    2. don't they taste good atall?

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  3. Incredibly few wasps and hornets (apart from the ones at the auberge the other night) about this year.

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    1. Just one or two here. By taking the grapes down now, we're hoping that will continue. I've only seen one Dragonfly and one Praying Mantis too.

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  4. Yes, Cro, it is a shame [about the grapes]. However, some things, indeed some humans, have no other purpose than to look good.

    Hornets? I wish someone hadn't told me about how many hornets it takes to kill a horse, a human, a baby. I was a child then, staying with my youngest aunt and uncle, right next to a farm. It was idyllic - apart from the hornets. Also the smaller you yourself the bigger they are.

    Anyway, I have meandered with you through the summer and your early morning missives, Haddocks and its fabulous produce. An absolute joy. Gardening and reaping by proxy.

    U

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    1. You can now go and sing 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' with your morning coffee. I've just been to inspect Haddock's, and as we are expecting storms for tonight, I shall later tie everything down that might otherwise disappear. Rain at last (we hope).

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  5. There are a lot of Asian Hornets in our area, and unfortunately the figs on our fig tree in the courtyard are attractive to them. Nasty things. Killed off all our bees a couple of years ago.

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    1. I hang home-made traps in the Fig trees. You'd be amazed by how many I catch.

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    2. What are your homemade traps like ? I despise hornets plus I am allergic to their sting along with wasps.

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  6. A good hornet year this year. Even neighbour VAso's hasn't complained they're destroying the vineyard. Just about generate time here. Next weekend I should think. No Asians around here yet. VAso's will have a fit if they arrive in her lifetime. Enjoy the freshness of that rain.

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    Replies
    1. As usual full of mistakes. Spell check is trying to take me over. Read vendage for generate.

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    2. Getting very stormy and windy here. I think we're in for a belter.

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  7. It's a beautiful day here, but very windy. Rain promised for tomorrow -- need it desperately. Probably the last day of summer warmth.Those hornets are very nasty. My husband found what he described as a giant dragonfly in the garage yesterday -- body the length and thickness of his forefinger and the double wings like a dragonfly. Any idea what it might have been?

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    1. Sounds like a Dragonfly; why did you think it wasn't?

      Here the temperature will drop to the low 20's C after the storm, so, yes, the end of summer.

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    2. The size of it made me wonder as we've never seen one so large...

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  8. I've got grapes growing up the back staircase which leads to our flat rooftop. One black, one white. The black ones are nice but the white are a bit tart, however, this year both have suffered with mildew due to the lack of rain so I don't think I'll be eating any at all. Haven't seen any of those hornets yet, hope they don't come here, the other half is allergic to wasps and all that!

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    1. We have some delicious white grapes that have been grown from a wild cutting I planted about 4 years ago. I shall take some more cuttings again this year; they're so good.

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  9. Yes Cro, it does seem a shame but I would (almost) sell my soul to avoid coming across a plague of giant hornets!

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    1. Horrible things; I don't see the point of such creatures.

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  10. Add a load of sugar and make wine then a vinegar. Although it hardly seems worth it to be honest.

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    1. That's the problem Kev. Wine is cheap, and vinegar is cheap. No point making your own.

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  11. Goodness! Hope those hornets don't reach Derbyshire. David is allergic to wasp stings(goes into anaphalactic shock - we keep Adrenalin in) I wonder if he would do so with hornets?
    We have some useless grapes too.

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    1. I believe there have already been a few deaths, so always best to be careful. Generally they leave you alone, but one needs to check that certain fruits don't have a 'tenant'.

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  12. It is hornet and yellow jacket time here also. I am glad we don't have grapes to attract them.

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    1. We have loads of Figs and they love those, although we still haven't seen many Hornets this year.

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  13. If a hornets gets into the house, I spray hair lacca on it.
    Greetings Maria x

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    1. I use those plastic fly-swats. One good whack, and they are no more!

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