10th March 2026

The oil seed rape crop in various fields around Staple, is just coming into flower. Every open flower I saw had a group of pollen beetles feeding on it. They are currently rather abundant and can cause damage to the crop and reduce yield. Pollen beetles are especially attracted to yellow flowers and, in fact anything yellow. Birds and spiders are natural predators and in a healthy ecosystem beetle populations will be kept under control.

Pollen Beetles on Oil-seed Rape