Interests 3/5

stevecowles

Jun 24, 20232 min read

The Lure of Cheap Soft Plastics

I was a bit tempted by some of the very cheap soft plastic fishing lures available on Amazon and eBay. They seem to be too good to be...

2 views0 comments

stevecowles

Jun 23, 20232 min read

Should I feed my Lasius Flavus Queen?

Lasius Flavus are fully claustral, which means that the queen can survive the full time taken from laying eggs up to the arrival of the...

5 views1 comment

Wakooshi Test Tube Pods - A Problem Solved?

stevecowles

Jun 22, 20232 min read

Wakooshi Test Tube Pods - A Problem Solved?

Keeping a young ant colony in their test tube for an extended period is great for getting them established but it does come with a couple...

7 views0 comments

stevecowles

Jun 20, 20232 min read

Tackle Box Bargain?

I don't want to spend a fortune on fishing gear until I have done enough of it to know that it is a stayer in my list of hobbies, on the...

4 views0 comments

My first home-born worker ant (Messor Barbarus)

stevecowles

Jun 19, 20231 min read

My first home-born worker ant (Messor Barbarus)

Yesterday was a significant day in my ant-keeping journey, this is the first homeborn worker, a Messor Barbarus from Queen 5. Admittedly...

9 views0 comments

stevecowles

Jun 18, 20231 min read

Northern Rail are to blame for this

I had a weekend break booked to Newcastle, tonight I should have been staying in the Travelodge on the Quayside which would have been...

4 views0 comments

stevecowles

Jun 10, 20231 min read

First Rod for 45 Years

Back in my school years, I used to go coarse fishing quite often but I've not done so since. I have been thinking about getting some...

7 views0 comments

Was my ant-keeping eBay job lot a bargain?

stevecowles

Jun 5, 20232 min read

Was my ant-keeping eBay job lot a bargain?

Last night, I got around to actually looking to see what the £60 investment I mentioned the other day had actually bought me. It had been...

6 views0 comments

stevecowles

Jun 4, 20231 min read

Whoops, Sorry about that

I was in the process of hydrating one of my ant nests when the doorbell rang, it was a courier delivering a package which should have...

7 views0 comments

stevecowles

Jun 3, 20231 min read

Experiment or hobby?

My search for new leisure activities has taken me in a different direction, can you guess what it is yet? Obviously, home brewing. A lot...

6 views0 comments

stevecowles

May 30, 20231 min read

I come to steal your Queen

Before starting work today, I thought it would be good to do something I've intended to do for the last couple of weeks: create a queen...

8 views0 comments

stevecowles

May 26, 20231 min read

Do I stay, or do I go?

I've got my small collection of ants and have enjoyed watching their behaviour, they also have an amazing ability to frustrate me as they...

8 views0 comments

stevecowles

May 14, 20231 min read

Beginner Ant-keeper

This summer's hobby is going to be ant keeping. Why, well it started with a random YouTube video and seemed harmless enough even if...

6 views0 comments

stevecowles

May 8, 20231 min read

I bought an ant

After bumping into some random videos on YouTube, getting interested and then drifting into some research for a week or so, I've bought...

3 views0 comments

stevecowles

Apr 22, 20231 min read

Can I Grow Herbs

I was going to grow some herbs a few years ago but after planting them I ended up going away for a week or more and they died, I'm going...

2 views0 comments

stevecowles

Apr 9, 20233 min read

Is it time for a fish tank?

I need a new hobby, I was planning to get back into going to the pub and gigs more regularly but, having tried it, my enthusiasm just...

4 views0 comments

stevecowles

Apr 7, 20231 min read

NCM eBike Controller Specification

I own two NCM eBikes, a Moscow Plus and a Venice, one for off-road and one for the tarmac. I've put a fair few miles on them and they...

1 view0 comments

stevecowles

Mar 31, 20232 min read

CatEye HL-EL135 Front Light for Summer

The lighter evenings are here so it is time to change the front lights around on my bikes, why would I want to do this? Basically, it...

3 views0 comments

stevecowles

Oct 13, 20221 min read

Tracking my bikes with an Apple AirTag

I've wondered about this for a while. The AirTag is potentially a really cheap (£25) way to add an extra layer of security to your bike...

14 views0 comments

stevecowles

Oct 9, 20221 min read

Why do I use two rear bike lights?

The nights are starting to draw in and some of my evening journeys are now ending in darkness for the first time in a few months. Time to...

18 views0 comments

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