Is anyone else having problems with these things we have had two recently landed in our fields, fortunetly the silage had been taken of both fields, but as they have wire in them they could be deadly if they got chopped up with the silage, plus one was quite badly burnt at the edges so one dreads to think what one could do if it landed on straw.
Yes there is a thread on this before somewhere I think.
A friends horses were spooked from the field in the early hours as some landed from a party - a miracle they didn't cause a road accident as they galloped around and she found them unharmed many miles away still scared, we searched for ages.
I have picked up 2 in the last week, they are constructed using fine wire as a frame, nasty stuff. There was comment in the Farmers Guardian this week where the wire had got into silage and killed dairy cattle, they said lanterns were banned in Germany and Austrailia. Maybe we should ban them too!
They should be banned due to the fire risk, never mond the danger to livestock and they problems for the coastguard/RNLI.
With everywhere as dry as it is at present the risk to heathland, thatched houses etc. Nearly as bad as my other pet hate, smokers flicking their cigarette butts out of the window
We have just picked up some more, I've checked out Staples website and it appears the offer is no longer there so mabe someone has pointed out the folly of their offers, I was at a party last week and the subject came up, and one person in the party had tried to explain to a friend who was letting of 40 for her birthday the risks to animals and crops and sadly her reply was that she did not care. Maybe she would if she got bits of wire in her food,
I farm next to a large village on the urban fringe of South Manchester. On New Years Day I too found a "spent" lantern within 50yds of my large straw barn . On checking agisted sheep on another part of the farm it allowed me to total up to 20 spent lanters dotted about the fields.At the local cheap shop the cost £1. Heaven only knows the cost of damage they may have caused. I personally think there is little way to stop there use , other than pictures of barbqued stock that will result on a holding one day , being shown on TV and in the press . Hopefully this current fad in popular celebrations will pass quickly to something less potentialy dangerous to man and beast
Even civilised Isle of Bute is not immune from these things, I found a wire framed one in one of our fields after the November 5th celebrations. I have considered a bit in the local press about them, but the trouble is that those amused by such things and fireworks generally do not seem to give a hoot for anyone or anything else as long as they have their fun.
The wire worries me as much as the fire risk.
Duncan
Duncan MacIntyre
Burnside Dexters 00316
Burnside
Ascog
Isle of Bute
A local had a celebration last year and let some off here. We collected three from the fields, burned and with wires, and also collected on from the roadside. It isn't restricted to cities, as we are in completely rural area and the guy who let them off, or at least his family did, is a professional farming consultant, although I'm not sure the word professional should apply!!!
I read in the press that the Chinese are trying to ban them, literally, that's not a joke.
I picked up one a couple of days ago, and the design seems to have changed, the candle was supported by a couple of pieces of string, not wire. Regardless, I'd rather they didn't use the things at all.
I'm guessing they are not over here, I've never heard of them. From what you write they are candles in some sort of paper thing that is held together by wire and they set them on fire?
I can't believe it's allowed it seems such a stupid thing to do for many reasons. I certainly wouldn't want it over here.
I've found a few balloons too, hung up on trees at the edge of the cow pasture. I'm in the middle-of-nowhere so finding stuff like that is always a shock. I wonder if the cows ever found any before I got there ..marion
