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Yes Peter, many more things are in trouble.  How much bother we had from wasps, had to look out for these spiteful insects.  Hardly seen any this year or last.  So many of the common garden creatures we knew in the past, almost non existent in these parts.  Hedgehogs, were here in quantity and they too disappeared as they have from my cousin's garden in north London, where he has plenty of the right habitat for this now urban animal.  He wonders about slug pellets, I on wider causes!  Tick infestation - I once removed twenty-one of these pretty night-marish pests from one hedgehog! Sure, hardly any sign of ladybirds this year, and flying ants likewise.

As far as weeds are concerned, no shortage of those and one in particular Peletory-in-the-wall turned up everywhere three years ago and still proliferates.  And, where on earth did this plant come to plague us?  Just as though some shower brought the seeds and distributed them liberally across our plot, yet not in our immediate neighbours so it seems.