May 17, 2025 • 17 mins
On The Garden Hour with Pete Wolfkamp and Ruud Kleinpaste Full Show Podcast for 18th May 2025, Ruud explains how to handle plants growing between wall-gaps, what types of sunlight plants need, and how to deal with pesky ants and magpies.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Resident Builder podcast with Peter Wolfcamp
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
A'd be by breaking news. Folks, be prepared to be amazed.
There are thought to be twenty thousand species of insects
in Alta and New Zealand. Ninety percent of them are endemic.
That's on page nine of the book. The book is
fantastic road the Incredible Insects of Altor. So what's your
involvement with it?
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Well, it's just Simon Pollard and Phil Servada, mates of mine.
Of course, we actually the two of the two of
them and me. We we once put together the Bug
lab At which was that huge thing that went all
over the world. And these guys have been writing this
book and they've written other books as well there And
the nice thing is, even as an entomologist, I can't
(00:54):
learn a hell of a lot of it. Yeah right,
you know, there's good stuff and it is easy to read,
brilliant and those sort of did you knows are really cool.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
So the guys think this has got to be in
every school library.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
It certainly has to be. Yeah, But anybody that's a
bit of a nature earth and likes its bugs should
have a look at that it's not that it's it's
it's not that expensive. It's great. I don't even know
what costs, but it's pretty cool, pretty cool. So we
thought we'd give one away. How's that.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
I think that's a great idea.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Okay, well I have my desire standing by.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
So.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Yeah, it's west the houses you love the wis.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Oh, I certainly do, yes, especially the ones that can
freeze to mindus eleven and still survive. Right, those are
little miracles that we learned from these insects. For instance,
how to transport, transport what you called transport organs, you know,
from one don or to somebody in the hospital on
(01:51):
ice without damaging the actual organ. You know what I mean.
That's exactly how those wetter have taught us how to
do these things. This is great stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
That's really nice in the book too, is that it
talks about a lot of the experts. You know, so
people that work away, I guess quietly in the background
doing fantastic work, get a moment in the in print
and in this giant stick insect, the longest insect in Altewer.
I mean, it's a phenomenal creature.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Yeah, it's lovely, it's got lovely little things in it
and things that you know is that. I go, like, God,
I've forgotten about that. That's cool. What a story? Yeah, yeah,
now you've got it.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
It's a beautiful book. So the Incredible Insects of Altaro.
There'll be an ICBN number on it. You'll be able
to look it up online to Papa Press. There you go.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
That's right. It's done by pop up. Yeah, it's done.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
By How brilliant And you're well, sir.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
I'm good, thank you, we are. The best joke that
I've got here is that we now have Kiwi on
Wayaki Island.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Oh how fabulous? How was we at that release?
Speaker 3 (02:56):
We put ten of them on Friday and it was
just fabulous. There were two hundred and three hundred people
at them, a right, it was full kids everywhere, all
my school kids from Wayakki there. It was just lovely
teachers and it was it was just unbelievable. God, those
birds looked like moat.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
My Now. I know you've said this is reintroducing Kiwi,
but there's already Kiwi on the island.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
No, no, no, this the story is even better because.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
This is controversial because to be fair, and I don't
want to throw my sister under the bus, but I
will because when we were talking about it last weekend,
I saw my sister who happens slow on wayhiki uh,
and I said, there's going to be Kiwi released on way.
She said they're already here, and I went, that's awesome. Aha, No,
that's that's upset Mother's day.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
They arrived on Friday. Sorry, And we've got fright so
forty coming in totals another thirty to come in the
next few years. There you go boom wow. Yeah, and
the kids are teaching everybody who does not have their
dog on a lead. That is real.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Yeah, how fabulous. Oh, it would have been a great day,
I would imagine. Right, if my sister rings me, I'll
just get to talk to.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
You a line because I'll ever go with it.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Oh, this is fabulous. Right, let's get to the call. Susan.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
Good morning, Oh, good morning, Pee tell you.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Very well, Thank you, Susan.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
And how's Rude.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Well, Rude is okay, he's fine. He's had a very
busy week so far, and it's absolutely gorgeous.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Oh that's great news. Now I have a rude I
have a aga panther plant that has secured itself between
the boards of a little supporting wall, and I'm trying
to get rid of it and pull it out, but
the roots are so embedded in. I mean it's only
about six inches long the leaves when they get and
(04:59):
I just keep breaking it off and I cannot prize
it out of the wall. So what can I put
on it to kill it?
Speaker 3 (05:06):
You want to get rid of it, You don't mind
if it dies.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
Right, No, I want to get rid of it.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
No, No, not fair enough. Well, there are all sorts
of things that you can use, all sorts of if
you're like weed killers, that you can go from from
stuff like what do you call it? Round up? But
when you use that, for instance, always put in a
sticker that is a sur affectant that holds the round
up onto the leaves and gives it far more penetration.
(05:33):
And that means that those plants will die. If you
want to do it in a different way without nasty chemics.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
I don't want to use round up unsusceptible to chemical size.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Sorry, Okay, try something like hit Man from wet Man Man.
Try try that, and you might have to do that
once or twice, but you'll find that there's a lot
more easier on you.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
Then that's great. No, well, I wondered that hit man
was going to be strong enough. But as you say,
I do it, you know, a couple of times, even
till it's finally gone.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Yeah, because what heat man does, head men will actually
literally destroy the cells and that means that there is
no more photosynthesis and the plant can't get themselves better
again or avoid the hit man. If you like, you
did it a couple of times, and if you still
see green stuff, whack another lot on.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
Like I just keep waking it on my weeds and
my shingle path and it does a fabulous job. It's
really really good. So it's quick I've got so thanks
for your help.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Good to hear very much, Suzan. Take care. We're going
to take short break. We'll talk to Lisa straight after
the break, and.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Is with us.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
We're talking all things gardening and the wonderful world of bugs,
including insects, and actually what's the difference between insect and
a bug.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
A bug is an insect. It's a group of insects
that is called a true bug, if you like, so
the stinct bug, for instance, the green stink thing. Yes,
is a true bug. An effort is a true bug.
But everybody else said that calls bugs bugs basically means
insects or invertebrates. But there's a special group, the hater
(07:14):
optera and the home opera as they're called, that are
true bugs.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
See this is we love, This is fantastic, Lisa, good morning.
Speaker 5 (07:26):
Hi, thanks for having the lawyer on about cross lessons.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Thank you.
Speaker 5 (07:32):
And I've got two questions about ANSWERD. I'm curiosity. I
live in a basement flat which seems to be surrounded
by ends. I don't like to use insecticides, and my
philosophy has been when I first moved in, there were
ants coming into the kitchen. I just make sure I'm
(07:55):
not feeding them. I don't leave any food out either.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
You got it.
Speaker 5 (07:58):
Yeah, every time I see a loan and or a
small group small handful of them, I squashed them, which
mean but it's to keep them away, and it appears
to be working. They don't. They seem to have pretty
much disappeared for.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
The most part.
Speaker 5 (08:16):
I'm wondering if they sort of send Joe antus by
itself and if it doesn't come back, they don't send anymore.
Speaker 6 (08:26):
No problem.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Yeah, Well, there you go. No, ants are basically creatures
that could live in your house, and they like to
actually clean up your kitchen because, as you well know,
you spill spaghetti bolonnais behind the stove and the ants
come there and say, oh, thanks, no worries, I'll clean
this up for you real quick because I like that
stuff too, and they take it back to the nesty,
feeding to the queen and everybody's happy. So quite often
(08:49):
ants are not a big deal, but some are, to
be quite honest, and you will need to do something like,
for instance, keep your sugar under tight control or your
protein under tight control so they can't even get there,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (09:04):
That's just just that I'm not feeding them as the
main thing.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
It's absolutely the main thing. Yes, you've got it.
Speaker 5 (09:10):
Yeah, And I have a second curiosity question. Sometimes an
ants will get on your clothing the show and you
won't notice it, and you walk away, and you'll notice
it when you walk down the road or whatever I'm
wondering will and then you notice it and you brush
it off and you've moved it away from its nest.
Will that answervive or can it find? How far can
(09:32):
it go before it find its way back to its nest.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
Only if it has a really good cell phone system
where it can find a way back. No, it usually
don't survive quite honest.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Okay, that's interesting. Thank you, Lisa really appreciate it. And Mark,
good morning.
Speaker 6 (09:53):
Yes, Hello, Hi Mike, Just a real quick one. I
live in a rural block and I love the birds.
I've got kettle around me and all that jairs and
a whole lot of section. Magpies have become quite a
problem for me recently, for not wishing to offend any
(10:16):
of other listeners. I won't tell you the things I've
done to try and rid them, but I'm at a
point where they come up to my windows. I've got
tinted double glazing. They tap on them first thing in
the morning, they do their poos everywhere. What is the
best repellent for these things that I really don't like.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Have you got some of those windows that are really
reflective because they keep the sunlight out in a really clever.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Way if they're tinted, Yeah, yes, exactly.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Yeah, Because what they're doing is they see they see
themselves in the window, and they think it's somebody else
and they are starting a fight. That's the tapping.
Speaker 6 (11:00):
Okay, so short of changing all my glazing, how do
I get rid of them?
Speaker 3 (11:06):
Go and live in a different house.
Speaker 6 (11:12):
Now?
Speaker 3 (11:13):
But I mean that that's exactly what happens. There's very
little you can do through this when you've got one,
I know, those less classes, because those things quite often
other birds come there, fentels do the same thing. They
fight with their own image in the window. That's great.
There's very little you could do about that.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Okay, all right, well but the bummery.
Speaker 6 (11:40):
Hey, look I really love and I appreciate your advice.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Good good, I know what you mean. Sorry about that.
It is like that.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
It's hard the way because I mean I had sort
of the exact opposite this week where I went outside
and I spent a couple of minutes just listening to
this cacophony of sound as the ties gathered in the
bodic poetry and you know, just a cluster of them
loud and chatting and talking and arguing, and that's a thing.
It was just delightful.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Yes, it is. It is wonderful. Yeah. Now I'm looking
at the moment that magpies too, because some of those
magpies that I've got a feeling magpies are quite rotten
predators of certain creatures, especially other insects and things like that.
So we actually have to keep an eye out for
these Australian magpies because they are doing a bit of
(12:31):
damage in our ecosystems. Yeah, to be quite honest.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
It's not a little bit like the debate around Canada geese.
That's right, yeah, right, a species that tends to dominate
the ecosystem and then becomes problem.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
That's right. But the cool thing about the magpies is
that they don't they pull. But that's not what they
That's not what I'm interested in. I'm interested in the
stuff the pellets that they throw out of their mouths
of all the food that they've tried to digest and
they can't digest, the skins of insects, for instance, and
the legs of insects. They make pellets like owls do.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
That.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
And so sometimes I work with kids and we find
those bellets and then we wash those bellets and clean
them and find out exactly what that particular makepie has
been eating. And that is a really cool thing to
do in the school. Actually, there you.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Goyah fabulous MICHAELA good morning to you Hi, Mikayla, Hello.
Speaker 6 (13:28):
Good morning, Good morning.
Speaker 7 (13:31):
Is it going?
Speaker 3 (13:33):
What can I do for you?
Speaker 7 (13:35):
Good morning. I've just got a few questions this morning.
I've got some Climatus seeds and seeds and raise up,
so I've got about six of them. I'm just wondering
what the best climate is for them in the shade
and the sun.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
A clematis, in my opinion is roots in the shade
and then later when it grows up and the heads
in the sun.
Speaker 7 (13:56):
Excellent. Yeah, because I've actually been successful. I just put
some random seeds down about six to eight months ago
and I've got about six seedlings. Are super excited about
that one exactly.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
And I put mine in a dead in a dead
birch tree, and that thing is actually there's a ball
of white flowers of our native Climatis there, which is
probably a meter and a half in diameter. It's huge.
But the problem is but yeah, but the problem is
I should have taken a bit of a hardier tree
(14:26):
because that birch will go this year maybe next year,
and I have to start all over again.
Speaker 7 (14:33):
Oh what a shame. But I've actually put them. I've
actually put them in a future pot plant and surprisingly
that's come up. Are they great mates to breed with?
Speaker 3 (14:43):
No, nothing to do with mates. It's just they can
climb up. It's easy. That's all they want to do.
Speaker 7 (14:48):
That's amazing.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
Check them outside. But try a tree that is alive
if you like, and not do dense so they can
climb up.
Speaker 7 (14:56):
Yes, absolutely so, I'm so excited. When should I move them?
When would be the best time to Right now? Now's
a good time. Amazing, that's fantastic, Thank you so much.
And I thought I've seen a big white tail on
my wall last night and they live on.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
The third story.
Speaker 7 (15:12):
I was out having a cigarette on the patio. I thought,
I've seen a big white tail. Russian got the fly
spray killed it?
Speaker 3 (15:19):
No, no, no no, you give them to the kids
to take this school cricket. Oh go on. The myth
of white tails is incredible. The mess.
Speaker 7 (15:33):
Really amazing. I would love this book.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
Road.
Speaker 7 (15:37):
I listened to you every Sunday morning. Absolutely amazing.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Qualifies you as a winner.
Speaker 7 (15:43):
There you go, amazing, Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
Stay on the line, get your details, don't go anywhere.
Speaker 7 (15:51):
Thanks.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
It is a wonderful book. The incredible Insects of al
Taor and and look, I agree with you. I think
this book should be in every school library. Yes, particularly
primary schools.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Yep, yep, And you keep on reading stuff. It's great
and it sells you. For instance, as belong to the
group of Hymenoptera, that means they're related to bees, wasps,
and saw flies, which are not flies at all. But
also anyway, go on.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Hey, quick text before we go, well Wellington residents. Recent
southerly is dumped a lot of salt on trees and plants.
The trees are dropping their leaves. Anything you can do
about it?
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Yes, that was when it was when the salt was deposited.
So when you get an enormous storm and the salt
goes on that just holds it off, honestly, as soon
as you can, if you because most people in Wellington
will know when it is what kind of wind will
harm their guarden. Just chuck it off with a bit
of water and you will actually save your plants.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
How interesting. Yeah, okay, so just get out there and
because typically you go well, if it's you know, stormy,
you've got rain and salt. But in this instance, it's
just the wind driven salt.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Wind driven salt. Yeah, especially if you leave close by
to get rid of it and you'll find it'll work.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Hey, just by the way, today marks eleven years of
the show, so thank you again for your contribution over
that time. It's an absolute delight, so thank you mate.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
It's always good mate.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Take care all the best, right, enjoy your day. I'm
going to go down and see the old distinguished Gentleman's ride.
I was going to ride, but my brother's taken the
bike instead. What's his bike? So that's fair enough anyway,
have a great week guys, and we'll catch you next Sunday.
Take care.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
Thanks for more from the Resident Builder with Peter Wolfcamp.
Listen live to News Talk sa'd be on Sunday mornings
from Sex, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Resident Builder podcast with Peter Wolfcamp
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
A'd be by breaking news. Folks, be prepared to be amazed.
There are thought to be twenty thousand species of insects
in Alta and New Zealand. Ninety percent of them are endemic.
That's on page nine of the book. The book is
fantastic road the Incredible Insects of Altor. So what's your
involvement with it?
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Well, it's just Simon Pollard and Phil Servada, mates of mine.
Of course, we actually the two of the two of
them and me. We we once put together the Bug
lab At which was that huge thing that went all
over the world. And these guys have been writing this
book and they've written other books as well there And
the nice thing is, even as an entomologist, I can't
(00:54):
learn a hell of a lot of it. Yeah right,
you know, there's good stuff and it is easy to read,
brilliant and those sort of did you knows are really cool.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
So the guys think this has got to be in
every school library.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
It certainly has to be. Yeah, But anybody that's a
bit of a nature earth and likes its bugs should
have a look at that it's not that it's it's
it's not that expensive. It's great. I don't even know
what costs, but it's pretty cool, pretty cool. So we
thought we'd give one away. How's that.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
I think that's a great idea.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Okay, well I have my desire standing by.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
So.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Yeah, it's west the houses you love the wis.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Oh, I certainly do, yes, especially the ones that can
freeze to mindus eleven and still survive. Right, those are
little miracles that we learned from these insects. For instance,
how to transport, transport what you called transport organs, you know,
from one don or to somebody in the hospital on
(01:51):
ice without damaging the actual organ. You know what I mean.
That's exactly how those wetter have taught us how to
do these things. This is great stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
That's really nice in the book too, is that it
talks about a lot of the experts. You know, so
people that work away, I guess quietly in the background
doing fantastic work, get a moment in the in print
and in this giant stick insect, the longest insect in Altewer.
I mean, it's a phenomenal creature.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Yeah, it's lovely, it's got lovely little things in it
and things that you know is that. I go, like, God,
I've forgotten about that. That's cool. What a story? Yeah, yeah,
now you've got it.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
It's a beautiful book. So the Incredible Insects of Altaro.
There'll be an ICBN number on it. You'll be able
to look it up online to Papa Press. There you go.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
That's right. It's done by pop up. Yeah, it's done.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
By How brilliant And you're well, sir.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
I'm good, thank you, we are. The best joke that
I've got here is that we now have Kiwi on
Wayaki Island.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Oh how fabulous? How was we at that release?
Speaker 3 (02:56):
We put ten of them on Friday and it was
just fabulous. There were two hundred and three hundred people
at them, a right, it was full kids everywhere, all
my school kids from Wayakki there. It was just lovely
teachers and it was it was just unbelievable. God, those
birds looked like moat.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
My Now. I know you've said this is reintroducing Kiwi,
but there's already Kiwi on the island.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
No, no, no, this the story is even better because.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
This is controversial because to be fair, and I don't
want to throw my sister under the bus, but I
will because when we were talking about it last weekend,
I saw my sister who happens slow on wayhiki uh,
and I said, there's going to be Kiwi released on way.
She said they're already here, and I went, that's awesome. Aha, No,
that's that's upset Mother's day.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
They arrived on Friday. Sorry, And we've got fright so
forty coming in totals another thirty to come in the
next few years. There you go boom wow. Yeah, and
the kids are teaching everybody who does not have their
dog on a lead. That is real.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Yeah, how fabulous. Oh, it would have been a great day,
I would imagine. Right, if my sister rings me, I'll
just get to talk to.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
You a line because I'll ever go with it.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Oh, this is fabulous. Right, let's get to the call. Susan.
Speaker 4 (04:23):
Good morning, Oh, good morning, Pee tell you.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Very well, Thank you, Susan.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
And how's Rude.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Well, Rude is okay, he's fine. He's had a very
busy week so far, and it's absolutely gorgeous.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Oh that's great news. Now I have a rude I
have a aga panther plant that has secured itself between
the boards of a little supporting wall, and I'm trying
to get rid of it and pull it out, but
the roots are so embedded in. I mean it's only
about six inches long the leaves when they get and
(04:59):
I just keep breaking it off and I cannot prize
it out of the wall. So what can I put
on it to kill it?
Speaker 3 (05:06):
You want to get rid of it, You don't mind
if it dies.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
Right, No, I want to get rid of it.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
No, No, not fair enough. Well, there are all sorts
of things that you can use, all sorts of if
you're like weed killers, that you can go from from
stuff like what do you call it? Round up? But
when you use that, for instance, always put in a
sticker that is a sur affectant that holds the round
up onto the leaves and gives it far more penetration.
(05:33):
And that means that those plants will die. If you
want to do it in a different way without nasty chemics.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
I don't want to use round up unsusceptible to chemical size.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Sorry, Okay, try something like hit Man from wet Man Man.
Try try that, and you might have to do that
once or twice, but you'll find that there's a lot
more easier on you.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
Then that's great. No, well, I wondered that hit man
was going to be strong enough. But as you say,
I do it, you know, a couple of times, even
till it's finally gone.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Yeah, because what heat man does, head men will actually
literally destroy the cells and that means that there is
no more photosynthesis and the plant can't get themselves better
again or avoid the hit man. If you like, you
did it a couple of times, and if you still
see green stuff, whack another lot on.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
Like I just keep waking it on my weeds and
my shingle path and it does a fabulous job. It's
really really good. So it's quick I've got so thanks
for your help.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Good to hear very much, Suzan. Take care. We're going
to take short break. We'll talk to Lisa straight after
the break, and.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Is with us.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
We're talking all things gardening and the wonderful world of bugs,
including insects, and actually what's the difference between insect and
a bug.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
A bug is an insect. It's a group of insects
that is called a true bug, if you like, so
the stinct bug, for instance, the green stink thing. Yes,
is a true bug. An effort is a true bug.
But everybody else said that calls bugs bugs basically means
insects or invertebrates. But there's a special group, the hater
(07:14):
optera and the home opera as they're called, that are
true bugs.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
See this is we love, This is fantastic, Lisa, good morning.
Speaker 5 (07:26):
Hi, thanks for having the lawyer on about cross lessons.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Thank you.
Speaker 5 (07:32):
And I've got two questions about ANSWERD. I'm curiosity. I
live in a basement flat which seems to be surrounded
by ends. I don't like to use insecticides, and my
philosophy has been when I first moved in, there were
ants coming into the kitchen. I just make sure I'm
(07:55):
not feeding them. I don't leave any food out either.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
You got it.
Speaker 5 (07:58):
Yeah, every time I see a loan and or a
small group small handful of them, I squashed them, which
mean but it's to keep them away, and it appears
to be working. They don't. They seem to have pretty
much disappeared for.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
The most part.
Speaker 5 (08:16):
I'm wondering if they sort of send Joe antus by
itself and if it doesn't come back, they don't send anymore.
Speaker 6 (08:26):
No problem.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Yeah, Well, there you go. No, ants are basically creatures
that could live in your house, and they like to
actually clean up your kitchen because, as you well know,
you spill spaghetti bolonnais behind the stove and the ants
come there and say, oh, thanks, no worries, I'll clean
this up for you real quick because I like that
stuff too, and they take it back to the nesty,
feeding to the queen and everybody's happy. So quite often
(08:49):
ants are not a big deal, but some are, to
be quite honest, and you will need to do something like,
for instance, keep your sugar under tight control or your
protein under tight control so they can't even get there,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (09:04):
That's just just that I'm not feeding them as the
main thing.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
It's absolutely the main thing. Yes, you've got it.
Speaker 5 (09:10):
Yeah, And I have a second curiosity question. Sometimes an
ants will get on your clothing the show and you
won't notice it, and you walk away, and you'll notice
it when you walk down the road or whatever I'm
wondering will and then you notice it and you brush
it off and you've moved it away from its nest.
Will that answervive or can it find? How far can
(09:32):
it go before it find its way back to its nest.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
Only if it has a really good cell phone system
where it can find a way back. No, it usually
don't survive quite honest.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Okay, that's interesting. Thank you, Lisa really appreciate it. And Mark,
good morning.
Speaker 6 (09:53):
Yes, Hello, Hi Mike, Just a real quick one. I
live in a rural block and I love the birds.
I've got kettle around me and all that jairs and
a whole lot of section. Magpies have become quite a
problem for me recently, for not wishing to offend any
(10:16):
of other listeners. I won't tell you the things I've
done to try and rid them, but I'm at a
point where they come up to my windows. I've got
tinted double glazing. They tap on them first thing in
the morning, they do their poos everywhere. What is the
best repellent for these things that I really don't like.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Have you got some of those windows that are really
reflective because they keep the sunlight out in a really clever.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Way if they're tinted, Yeah, yes, exactly.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Yeah, Because what they're doing is they see they see
themselves in the window, and they think it's somebody else
and they are starting a fight. That's the tapping.
Speaker 6 (11:00):
Okay, so short of changing all my glazing, how do
I get rid of them?
Speaker 3 (11:06):
Go and live in a different house.
Speaker 6 (11:12):
Now?
Speaker 3 (11:13):
But I mean that that's exactly what happens. There's very
little you can do through this when you've got one,
I know, those less classes, because those things quite often
other birds come there, fentels do the same thing. They
fight with their own image in the window. That's great.
There's very little you could do about that.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Okay, all right, well but the bummery.
Speaker 6 (11:40):
Hey, look I really love and I appreciate your advice.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Good good, I know what you mean. Sorry about that.
It is like that.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
It's hard the way because I mean I had sort
of the exact opposite this week where I went outside
and I spent a couple of minutes just listening to
this cacophony of sound as the ties gathered in the
bodic poetry and you know, just a cluster of them
loud and chatting and talking and arguing, and that's a thing.
It was just delightful.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Yes, it is. It is wonderful. Yeah. Now I'm looking
at the moment that magpies too, because some of those
magpies that I've got a feeling magpies are quite rotten
predators of certain creatures, especially other insects and things like that.
So we actually have to keep an eye out for
these Australian magpies because they are doing a bit of
(12:31):
damage in our ecosystems. Yeah, to be quite honest.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
It's not a little bit like the debate around Canada geese.
That's right, yeah, right, a species that tends to dominate
the ecosystem and then becomes problem.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
That's right. But the cool thing about the magpies is
that they don't they pull. But that's not what they
That's not what I'm interested in. I'm interested in the
stuff the pellets that they throw out of their mouths
of all the food that they've tried to digest and
they can't digest, the skins of insects, for instance, and
the legs of insects. They make pellets like owls do.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
That.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
And so sometimes I work with kids and we find
those bellets and then we wash those bellets and clean
them and find out exactly what that particular makepie has
been eating. And that is a really cool thing to
do in the school. Actually, there you.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Goyah fabulous MICHAELA good morning to you Hi, Mikayla, Hello.
Speaker 6 (13:28):
Good morning, Good morning.
Speaker 7 (13:31):
Is it going?
Speaker 3 (13:33):
What can I do for you?
Speaker 7 (13:35):
Good morning. I've just got a few questions this morning.
I've got some Climatus seeds and seeds and raise up,
so I've got about six of them. I'm just wondering
what the best climate is for them in the shade
and the sun.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
A clematis, in my opinion is roots in the shade
and then later when it grows up and the heads
in the sun.
Speaker 7 (13:56):
Excellent. Yeah, because I've actually been successful. I just put
some random seeds down about six to eight months ago
and I've got about six seedlings. Are super excited about
that one exactly.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
And I put mine in a dead in a dead
birch tree, and that thing is actually there's a ball
of white flowers of our native Climatis there, which is
probably a meter and a half in diameter. It's huge.
But the problem is but yeah, but the problem is
I should have taken a bit of a hardier tree
(14:26):
because that birch will go this year maybe next year,
and I have to start all over again.
Speaker 7 (14:33):
Oh what a shame. But I've actually put them. I've
actually put them in a future pot plant and surprisingly
that's come up. Are they great mates to breed with?
Speaker 3 (14:43):
No, nothing to do with mates. It's just they can
climb up. It's easy. That's all they want to do.
Speaker 7 (14:48):
That's amazing.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
Check them outside. But try a tree that is alive
if you like, and not do dense so they can
climb up.
Speaker 7 (14:56):
Yes, absolutely so, I'm so excited. When should I move them?
When would be the best time to Right now? Now's
a good time. Amazing, that's fantastic, Thank you so much.
And I thought I've seen a big white tail on
my wall last night and they live on.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
The third story.
Speaker 7 (15:12):
I was out having a cigarette on the patio. I thought,
I've seen a big white tail. Russian got the fly
spray killed it?
Speaker 3 (15:19):
No, no, no no, you give them to the kids
to take this school cricket. Oh go on. The myth
of white tails is incredible. The mess.
Speaker 7 (15:33):
Really amazing. I would love this book.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
Road.
Speaker 7 (15:37):
I listened to you every Sunday morning. Absolutely amazing.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Qualifies you as a winner.
Speaker 7 (15:43):
There you go, amazing, Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
Stay on the line, get your details, don't go anywhere.
Speaker 7 (15:51):
Thanks.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
It is a wonderful book. The incredible Insects of al
Taor and and look, I agree with you. I think
this book should be in every school library. Yes, particularly
primary schools.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Yep, yep, And you keep on reading stuff. It's great
and it sells you. For instance, as belong to the
group of Hymenoptera, that means they're related to bees, wasps,
and saw flies, which are not flies at all. But
also anyway, go on.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Hey, quick text before we go, well Wellington residents. Recent
southerly is dumped a lot of salt on trees and plants.
The trees are dropping their leaves. Anything you can do
about it?
Speaker 3 (16:31):
Yes, that was when it was when the salt was deposited.
So when you get an enormous storm and the salt
goes on that just holds it off, honestly, as soon
as you can, if you because most people in Wellington
will know when it is what kind of wind will
harm their guarden. Just chuck it off with a bit
of water and you will actually save your plants.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
How interesting. Yeah, okay, so just get out there and
because typically you go well, if it's you know, stormy,
you've got rain and salt. But in this instance, it's
just the wind driven salt.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Wind driven salt. Yeah, especially if you leave close by
to get rid of it and you'll find it'll work.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Hey, just by the way, today marks eleven years of
the show, so thank you again for your contribution over
that time. It's an absolute delight, so thank you mate.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
It's always good mate.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Take care all the best, right, enjoy your day. I'm
going to go down and see the old distinguished Gentleman's ride.
I was going to ride, but my brother's taken the
bike instead. What's his bike? So that's fair enough anyway,
have a great week guys, and we'll catch you next Sunday.
Take care.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
Thanks for more from the Resident Builder with Peter Wolfcamp.
Listen live to News Talk sa'd be on Sunday mornings
from Sex, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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