Latest news with #ScienceandAdviceforScottishAgriculture
The Herald Scotland
05-07-2025
- Climate
- The Herald Scotland
Aphids are driving me mad - we must be quick to act
A few weeks ago, I had been surprised to see aphids begin plastering the Sutherland kale with their foul little grey bodies before I had even planted them. What was going on, I don't usually see them till early autumn? I imagine you might have had the same problem, not necessarily mealy aphid but attacks on the likes of your roses. As with so much, I wondered if the problem stems from climate change. Read More: It seemed I was right as recent research by SASA (Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture) has shown. The scientists' data covered last winter and this spring and found that, overall, aphids could be active 3-4 weeks earlier than usual. Cold winters kill off many hibernating insects, so the milder the weather, the more aphids will survive. In looking at the mean temperatures for Edinburgh and Dundee between December and February, researchers showed that last winter was unusually mild. Edinburgh experienced the 13th warmest winter in 50 years, while it was the 12th mildest in Dundee. And if that wasn't enough, higher April and May temperatures encouraged the insects out of hibernation early which will give them time to produce even more than their usual number of generations. We gardeners rely on many different predators of pests like aphids. Wasps, hoverfly and lacewing larvae, ladybirds and birds such as tits can be relied on to predate aphids, but they hadn't built up large enough populations to deal with the early pests. Wasps are especially useful but the nests were still small with few workers feeding hungry larvae. So how do we deal with the problem? The first thing is to check the plants regularly to spot the problem and to act quickly. You could use insecticide or a soapy water spray, but that would kill 'beneficial' insects as well as the aphids. Particularly the lacewing, ladybird and hoverfly larvae that live among the aphid colonies. Although turning a jet from the hose on established plants would probably help, you obviously can't do this with young plants. I'm afraid I have to resort to routine check and squash - unlike me you can wear gloves. Natural predators are mow getting to work now their populations are building up. Plant of the week Hemerocallis 'Old Tangiers' (Image: PA) Hemerocallis 'Old Tangiers' is a later season daylily with bright tangerine coloured flowers with a striking yellow throat. Later season daylilies are less likely to suffer from Hemerocallis Gall Midge which causes buds to distort and go brown.
Powys County Times
05-06-2025
- Powys County Times
Man who baited birds of prey with rat poison in landowner feud sentenced
A man who baited birds of prey with pheasants coated in rat poison has been ordered to carry out 135 hours of unpaid work. Clive Burgoyne, 38, of Forfar in Angus, left four pheasant carcasses gutted and filled with rat poison as part of an ongoing feud with a neighbouring landowner over shooting rights. He hoped his actions would cause reputational damage to the Guynd estate near Arbroath, Angus, according to prosecutors. At Forfar Sheriff Court on April 22, Burgoyne pleaded guilty to a breach of wildlife legislation between January and February 2023. The court heard he left four pheasant carcasses coated in rodenticide which would cause haemorrhaging, in a bid to harm birds of prey. On Thursday at the same court, he was given a community payback order and 135 hours of unpaid work to be completed within 12 months, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said. Prosecutors said he put birds of prey 'at risk of injury or death' using a known rat poison which can kill a bird of prey in a single feed. Prosecutors told how witnesses saw Burgoyne in the front passenger seat of a car travelling towards, and later away, from the Guynd estate on the morning of February 3, 2023. A short time later, an estate worker discovered a dead pheasant on a footpath within the estate, COPFS said. The breast had been removed and the bird was covered in a quantity of grain and seed which was then coated in a bright blue liquid. A further search of the area revealed three more dead pheasants nearby which had been similarly cut open and treated, according to COPFS. Analysis carried out by officials at the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture confirmed the blue grain was a known rodenticide formulation. They believed the appearance of the pheasant carcasses suggested they had been prepared and set out with the intention of causing harm to birds. After being arrested, a sample of Burgoyne's DNA was found on all four of the dead birds. Iain Batho, who leads on wildlife and environmental crime at COPFS, said: 'It is highly important to preserve Scotland's natural heritage, including the wildlife that forms part of it. 'As such, wild birds are given strict protection by our law. 'Clive Burgoyne's reckless actions put various wildlife, particularly birds of prey, at risk of injury and death. 'COPFS takes offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act seriously and will prosecute individuals where there is sufficient evidence of a crime and where it is in the public interest to do so. 'The result in this case is a testament to the collaborative working between COPFS, Police Scotland, and Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture, who in this case were able to provide vital forensic evidence.'
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
Man who baited birds of prey with rat poison in landowner feud sentenced
A man who baited birds of prey with pheasants coated in rat poison has been ordered to carry out 135 hours of unpaid work. Clive Burgoyne, 38, of Forfar in Angus, left four pheasant carcasses gutted and filled with rat poison as part of an ongoing feud with a neighbouring landowner over shooting rights. He hoped his actions would cause reputational damage to the Guynd estate near Arbroath, Angus, according to prosecutors. At Forfar Sheriff Court on April 22, Burgoyne pleaded guilty to a breach of wildlife legislation between January and February 2023. The court heard he left four pheasant carcasses coated in rodenticide which would cause haemorrhaging, in a bid to harm birds of prey. On Thursday at the same court, he was given a community payback order and 135 hours of unpaid work to be completed within 12 months, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said. Prosecutors said he put birds of prey 'at risk of injury or death' using a known rat poison which can kill a bird of prey in a single feed. Prosecutors told how witnesses saw Burgoyne in the front passenger seat of a car travelling towards, and later away, from the Guynd estate on the morning of February 3, 2023. A short time later, an estate worker discovered a dead pheasant on a footpath within the estate, COPFS said. The breast had been removed and the bird was covered in a quantity of grain and seed which was then coated in a bright blue liquid. A further search of the area revealed three more dead pheasants nearby which had been similarly cut open and treated, according to COPFS. Analysis carried out by officials at the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture confirmed the blue grain was a known rodenticide formulation. They believed the appearance of the pheasant carcasses suggested they had been prepared and set out with the intention of causing harm to birds. After being arrested, a sample of Burgoyne's DNA was found on all four of the dead birds. Iain Batho, who leads on wildlife and environmental crime at COPFS, said: 'It is highly important to preserve Scotland's natural heritage, including the wildlife that forms part of it. 'As such, wild birds are given strict protection by our law. 'Clive Burgoyne's reckless actions put various wildlife, particularly birds of prey, at risk of injury and death. 'COPFS takes offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act seriously and will prosecute individuals where there is sufficient evidence of a crime and where it is in the public interest to do so. 'The result in this case is a testament to the collaborative working between COPFS, Police Scotland, and Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture, who in this case were able to provide vital forensic evidence.'
Western Telegraph
05-06-2025
- Western Telegraph
Man who baited birds of prey with rat poison in landowner feud sentenced
Clive Burgoyne, 38, of Forfar in Angus, left four pheasant carcasses gutted and filled with rat poison as part of an ongoing feud with a neighbouring landowner over shooting rights. He hoped his actions would cause reputational damage to the Guynd estate near Arbroath, Angus, according to prosecutors. At Forfar Sheriff Court on April 22, Burgoyne pleaded guilty to a breach of wildlife legislation between January and February 2023. The court heard he left four pheasant carcasses coated in rodenticide which would cause haemorrhaging, in a bid to harm birds of prey. On Thursday at the same court, he was given a community payback order and 135 hours of unpaid work to be completed within 12 months, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said. Prosecutors said he put birds of prey 'at risk of injury or death' using a known rat poison which can kill a bird of prey in a single feed. Prosecutors told how witnesses saw Burgoyne in the front passenger seat of a car travelling towards, and later away, from the Guynd estate on the morning of February 3, 2023. Clive Burgoyne's reckless actions put various wildlife, particularly birds of prey, at risk of injury and death Iain Batho, COPFS A short time later, an estate worker discovered a dead pheasant on a footpath within the estate, COPFS said. The breast had been removed and the bird was covered in a quantity of grain and seed which was then coated in a bright blue liquid. A further search of the area revealed three more dead pheasants nearby which had been similarly cut open and treated, according to COPFS. Analysis carried out by officials at the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture confirmed the blue grain was a known rodenticide formulation. They believed the appearance of the pheasant carcasses suggested they had been prepared and set out with the intention of causing harm to birds. After being arrested, a sample of Burgoyne's DNA was found on all four of the dead birds. Iain Batho, who leads on wildlife and environmental crime at COPFS, said: 'It is highly important to preserve Scotland's natural heritage, including the wildlife that forms part of it. 'As such, wild birds are given strict protection by our law. 'Clive Burgoyne's reckless actions put various wildlife, particularly birds of prey, at risk of injury and death. 'COPFS takes offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act seriously and will prosecute individuals where there is sufficient evidence of a crime and where it is in the public interest to do so. 'The result in this case is a testament to the collaborative working between COPFS, Police Scotland, and Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture, who in this case were able to provide vital forensic evidence.'
STV News
05-06-2025
- STV News
Man coated pheasant carcasses in rat poison in feud with landowner
A man who coated pheasant carcasses in rat poison to bait and injure wildlife as part of a feud with a landowner has been sentenced. Clive Burgoyne, 38, of Forfar, has been ordered to carry out 135 hours of unpaid work and given a community payback order after he admitted a breach of wildlife legislation between January and February 2023. The crime was committed as part of an ongoing feud with a local landowner over shooting rights. He hoped that his actions would cause reputational damage to the landowner's country estate. COPFS Clive Burgoyne, 38, of Forfar, carried out the crime as part of an ongoing feud Prosecutors told Forfar Sheriff Court how witnesses saw Burgoyne in the front passenger seat of a car travelling towards, and later away, from the Guynd estate near Arbroath on the morning of February 3, 2023. A short time later, an estate worker discovered a dead pheasant on a footpath within the estate. The breast had been removed and the bird was covered in a quantity of grain and seed which was then coated in a bright blue liquid. A further search of the area revealed three more dead pheasants nearby which had been similarly cut open and treated. Analysis carried out by officials at the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture confirmed the blue grain was an anticoagulant rodenticide formulation containing difenacoum. Difenacoum is highly toxic to birds and if consumed causes haemorrhaging. A single feed from a baited carcass would prove fatal to a raptor. They believed the appearance of the pheasant carcases suggested they had been prepared and set out with the intention of causing harm to birds. The court heard that the dead pheasants had clearly been left out in the open to attract non-target species such as birds of prey. After being arrested, a sample of Burgoyne's DNA was found on all four of the dead birds. Iain Batho, who leads on wildlife and environmental crime for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: 'It is highly important to preserve Scotland's natural heritage, including the wildlife that forms part of it. As such, wild birds are given strict protection by our law 'Clive Burgoyne's reckless actions put various wildlife, particularly birds of prey, at risk of injury and death. 'COPFS takes offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act seriously and will prosecute individuals where there is sufficient evidence of a crime and where it is in the public interest to do so. 'The result in this case is a testament to the collaborative working between COPFS, Police Scotland, and Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA), who in this case were able to provide vital forensic evidence.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
