Ken Hughes, Milnerton
Since retiring I have had plenty of time to look around our swimming pool in the early morning and am saddened by the amount of garden insects that have perished in the water.
They include bees, ladybirds, lizards and many different types of bugs. There must be thousands that perish when one thinks of all the pools there are in South Africa alone.
I now walk around the pool many times during the day and have managed to save very many from the water.
I know that most people don’t have the time that I do, but perhaps some readers might just do what I do and can save a few more insects, after all, they all have their jobs to do in our gardens.
When one wonders what is happening to our dwindling bee population, the answer could be due to the many pools around.
The ladybirds can last quite a long time in the water, so they have the best chance of survival.
Anyway, one of the purposes of this letter is to bring to people’s attention the larger beetle, pictured, that looks as though it is dead, but these beetles recover when fished out of the pool.
Sometimes it takes quite a while for them to recover, and I have known some to take up to five hours before they suddenly crawl away.
So if you see one or two in the pool, fish them out and give them a chance.
Lastly, try and check before you close your windows as geckos love being around them and often get trapped and squashed.
