The Ultimate Fly Trap

Flies are always a pain in the bum and at this time of year we get more than our fair share of the pesky little blighters. However, I think that I have found the ultimate fly trap, it's called the Red Top Fly Catcher. It's been around for some time and is not cheap at €9 - €10 each, but I think it is well worth the money.
The instructions say that it should last for around 3 months and takes a couple of weeks to get going once you have activated the powder in the trap with water.

Within hours, mine was attracting flies, they were even queuing up to get in and going crazy trying to get at the solution which is in the bottom of the trap. They find their way into the trap, but they cannot find a way out, so after flying around for a while, they get tired and drop into the solution.
At the time of taking this photograph, mine had been in action for around 10 days and there must be over 5,000 flies in there.
As you can see in the picture, the mixture is at the bottom, the black part is all the flies that it has already caught, with more about to join the pile once they are fed up with flying around at the top trying to get out, they then collapse exhausted and fall to join their dead mates.

Mind you, it doesn't half smell, so you need to find a site around 10-20 metres away from where you are bothered by them, don't worry they will find it wherever you put it. Hang it up to do its stuff and at the end of summer, if the bags not full to over flowing with flies before then, put the dead flies into the compost bin.
Check out the video, below and look at the crazy flies.

You can get the Red Top Fly Catcher off eBay on the following link;

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=red+top+fly+catcher&_sacat=See-All-Categories

Another good Portuguese idea

The Portuguese are well known for their designs for traffic island displays. We have everything from a set of table and chairs, nurse's with babies, ships with fountains for sails, people looking at aeroplanes and many many more.
The latest that I have come across is the one in the picture on the left, an enormous 40 foot high palm tree, ...........with a twist.
What do you think of it?

This palm tree is in the centre of a traffic island just down the road from where I live in Praia da Luz. I really can't believe that it’s a Portuguese idea, but it sure is better than those normal ugly mobile telephone masts that are a blot on the landscape and are being erected in ever increasing numbers in most countries around the world.
Yep, that’s right, it’s a mobile phone signal mast, not a real palm tree.

In fact the second picture is a mobile mast by a golf course near where I used to work in Leicestershire, in the UK. It seems that if you make enough noise about what a blot on the landscape they are, you really can get something done about it.
The original Portuguese one was only 40 foot away from where the new one stands and was of the conventional radar type right outside someones lounge window. The local residents continuously complained and I think someone also tried to set fire to it. Eventually, the telephone company relented and put the palm tree mast up in its place, result.

Anyway, I think I prefer the Portuguese version.

Either way, anything has to be better than this monstrosity.

The Portugal News

Dino & his Dad(that's me) have made the Portugal News, in fact Dino has 2 mentions (one on page 20 & one on page 25), I only get a picture and if you can spot me on page 25, you will do very well.
If you need a clue, I am 2nd from the left, you might need a magnifying glass.
If you are in the Algarve on the weekend of 18th June, you can come along and meet us as the advert suggests, or just him if you like, he's more interesting than me.

http://epaper.theportugalnews.com/index.php?issue_no=1115

The Little Owl

Yesterday morningI found this baby Little Owl beneath a tree in the orchard, there was no sign of Mum or any noise coming from the surrounding trees. I made it some shade from the blisteringly hot sun and checked on it throughout the day and it looked increasingly weaker as the day went on, I even switched on the sprinklers to cool it down. Just before dark he was still there, but there was still no sign of mum.
First thing this morning I walked to the orchard and Mum flew out of the next tree, and I thought that was a good sign, unfortunately the little owl was dead.