Pollen Plunderers

On a mission to check out the stock of a typically TOWIE boutique in Ongar on behalf of my daughter and granddaughter. It sells quirky pieces quite cheaply.

I'd got Ollie dog with me and needed to park outside. Not possible on the first attempt so we went for a walk at Bobbingworth Nature Reserve. We walked a very muddy footpath through a field of oil seed rape. The first flowers are starting to open and all were full of pollen beetles. These rape pollen beetles or rape blossom beetles used to be called Meligethes aeneus but are now classified as Brassicogethes aeneus. They're attracted to anything yellow. They feed mainly on pollen but their larvae eat the sexual parts of the flowers causing them to drop.

We were lucky to get a perfect parking space right outside the shop  when we returned to Ongar. I left Ollie in the car and took my muddy boots off before I went in. Nothing that I thought would tempt the girls today but we'll check it out again in the Easter holidays. :)