I have invented the Bushcraft Coffee Table

[British Red]

I have an old pear tree trunk that we use as a garden bench

In front of that I cut a tree crown of ash to use as a coffee table



I looked at the side of it today whilst moving it and.....




'-
Tempted to move it to a quiet corner and pile some ash pieces around it

 

[tom.moran]

do it, yet another thing you can cultivate!

 

[Clouston98]

That's jammy! Found plenty of them myself, but none in my back garden!

 

[Angst]

hi....just last week i noticed the same happening on a bit of wood in my garden when i was giving it a bit of t.l.c. ...no idea what the wood is....didnt know what to do with them so i've put it back-ish....harvest them?.....some? dry them? radiator?....worried now i've disturbed it and cleared up where it was that theyll now die....what to do what to do?

s

 

[British Red]

They are the fruiting body of a fungus - they will be fine

The wood is probably ash - most cramp balls grow on ash. If you want to use some bring them indoors, keep them in a paper bag as they leak spores everywhere and put somewhere warm to dry!

I always leave some as they are the sole support system for some small insects

 

[wattsy]

there's a type of weevil that spends it's larval stage inside cramp balls eating them, that's what turns them into black powder when you leave one in your pocket. I always cut mine in half to check for larvae before storing them after hearing scraping noises from them one day, cutting it open and finding a half inch long great fat maggot in it.

 

[British Red]

Thats the chappy - Scarce Fungus Weevil - Platyrhinus resinosus

 

[Blundstoned Love]

Some insects are exquisetly beautiful - that's not one of them.

What a biffer!

 

[Angst]

cheers red....quite proud to be growing me own tinder lol....

and what a cracking litle chap that weevil is....now going to see if i can find one to be my new pet....new range of weevil leather gear coming up...

s

 

[British Red]

A really dinky lead?