Do you have a story to share?

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K

Kale

Guest
In my Quest to garden organically I became rather observant, I was seeing all kinds of interesting bugs. At first just thinking they would make a really cool picture, their spots, stripes wild and crazy designs, their mating positions were different they reacted differently when I separated them*lol
They acted differently when I watched them. Some I took for microscope inspection. Scale underside interested me so much I recorded the mother working with her eggs under that hard shell, teasing her just to see her reaction, simply amazing what the world is missing out on.
Some I just photographed.
I found bugs everywhere I looked. I found weird looking worms and beetles and bees. In fact I recalled the only paper I enjoyed writing in school was about bumble bees. The bees interested me because I understood they were the pollinators .To learn the stinger isn’t on their nose was fascinating to me along with learning that some bubble bees do not have a stinger. Ants interested me as a child as I watched them build big houses only for it to rain and ruin it. Later to learn the way they use aphids for sweet dew.
Wasps, oh my! I followed one for years wondering what it was. It wiggled its butt as it sat on the plants, I asked every gardener if they knew what it was and if they had it or ever saw one.
It didn't have an abdomen it seemed, sorta like it was just connected to the top half with a string of some sort.
The Proctotrupoidea simply tickled my curiosity. And recently even flies, there are so many of all of these critters my little memory couldn’t remember and my mouth could never pronounce!
There are thousands that still need to be classified. The world of critters is nearly never ending. I found a Cicada Killer Wasp while helping a neighbor not pull perennials from her garden; she wasn’t sure what not to pull. To actually find the wasp there with the cicada was fascinating as you will read at the link they never return. I caught her red handed and didn’t even know it! Don’t know what the chances of that ever happening again are!
Im guessing every one has a predator of some sort.
Some do live 7-10 years under your soil only to be poisoned then dug underground and eggs be inserted by the Cicadia Killer Wasp. Unbelievable!
LINK>> http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/2007/7-18/Cicada_killer.html

Every watch a spider try to attack a wasp?
Ever sit on the cement, touch a hill that ants made and just watch what they do? This thread is for you!
I have many adventures in my gardens, critters are very interesting, knowing them helps me not use a chemical. Actually, I plant for them and leave wood canes for them to bore in instead of my roses*lol
Working with them makes my gardening so much easier and adventurous!
They don’t even know how much help they truly are! One year I thought there was no hope for me to win against the critters there can be 10 or more for any given plant. I thought I would never be able to control all these pest I read about in any given book.I was feeling so defeated and wondered how can a tiny group of bugs defeat me after all Ive beenthrough in my life a bug is going to win and take my passion of gardening away??
NO WAY! Before long, I found out that there is definitely hope,you just have to understand the critter and if he is a friend you pacify him with food and shelter if he is a brat you encourage the predator.

Please come share your adventures here with any bug stories you may have from the amusement of their colors to the way they help you in the garden.


Kale:D
 

Crabbergirl

Super Moderator
Staff member
I have a love hate relationship with Lubbers! For those of you unsure what they are; Lubbers are a very large grass hopper with personality. I almost feel guilty wanting to kill them.When I see them in the garden or yard, they actually will watch you. If you approach with ill intent they will try to hide from you . If they are on a post they actually will creep to the other side and still have one eye on you. Sometime I let them go just because it looks like they are crying:(
 

shinekeeper

New Member
I love spiders. In their place. I watched as this garden spider captured and put Saran Wrap on the family's dinner. Ha!
 

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K

Kale

Guest
I have hoppers,preying mantis love them according to what I read.
Here is one sitting on my clothes line.It liked to be photographed I have a a closeup if anyone is interested. I do not know if it is a lubber though; the colors weren't brilliant.
I witnessed a spider several times.will share later.

You have one EXCELLENT SHOT Shinekeeper!

How long did it take her to spin her family's dinner*lol

Kale:D
 
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Crabbergirl

Super Moderator
Staff member
Lubber are like hoppers on steroids. They are huge. I'll have to get you some pics this summer. They aren't your average hoppers!
 
K

Kale

Guest
Your hopper is a great shot, too! I love macro!!


Thank you!

"I have been searching for him...Finally found them! Took a long while but..here is my macro.
The 1st is a distant shot about 12 feet away.
He stood there :) I just kept on shooting him" *LOL

Kale:)
 
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sassmuffin

New Member
Here is a Cicada that landed on the porch on lovely October afternoon.
 

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K

Kale

Guest
Thanks for sharing.... a cicada.

In October in Wisconsin?

humm, I think you may have your months mixed.
They emerge from June to August and only live 2-4 weeks.
She will Mate,securely place eggs in twigs which needs up to 10 weeks to develop before a freeze ) And life cycle is gone. You are a bit north of me so I'm guessing you have your months mixed*LOL May-be put picture in the wrong folder *LOL
Dont feel bad, All my pictures are named the same number so I have hundreds of folders that need to be renamed.I started but... got bored.
Anyway,
good shot!
Yukk bug, basically harmless.

Probably the only critter I would not take a Pic of...
My shitztu use to bring them to me.
Yukk, they were still buzzin'...those eyes...yuk...

Kale :)
 
K

Kale

Guest
Sure,Fun filled months will start to blend into one especially towards the end ..*lol
I can look for an hour for a pic only to later recall it was a not that month*LOL
You had me rather curious*lol I was thinking you had some that come out later like some other critters, just when you think they are gone another batch come flying in hungry and ready to eat!*LOL

Oh BTW, basically harmless to my plant life.I go don't (personally) have the trees they like. But their eggs(leaves) seem to find my veggie bed every once in a while.They do love my neighbors...Nothing like the Cicada Killer Wasps*lol
Yes dating is wonderful,OUr sever went down one year,my pics were saved they are all re dated between nov30- and dec 2 .I just went to see what year it was and they are all renamed folders dec 16th 2008! have to go find out what this is all about now...


Kale:)
 
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sassmuffin

New Member
This was actually one of the smaller ones I found. I had some dead ones around the yard that were mouse sized, scared the daylights out of me when I saw the first one in the veggie beds....
 
K

Kale

Guest
Whole dead ones or their despicable skins they leave behind? I do not like them.
Their skins startle me every time *LOL

Kale
 

Flower4Yeshua

Super Moderator & vegemm
Staff member
All the pics of the funky bugs...:eek:..OY! I am sure tonight I shall have nightmares..
Great shots though...:cool:
 
K

Kale

Guest
Flower4Yeshua,You have not seen yukky bugs..
Actually if you look real close at a butterfly or moth, it can be rather scary*LOL
Sure the Cicada is YUK! but some think it is cute sorta looks like a Boston Terrier or Pug*LOL

Here's one for you... A nice healthy Moth at the expense of a vining squash.

He looks like an Emperor, just put on a bow tie and there you have it .
Wish he wasn't around but it is a cool shot.

Kale:)
 
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K

Kale

Guest
A Story To Share

I was just whistling and working in the gardens one day,
minding my own business in the relaxed state of contentment and I nearly had a heart attack! This big bug came flying right at me nearly hit my nose then flew off to the Milkweed plants. With no time to take control of the racing heartbeat I ran to get my daughter and the camera.
I hadn't seen anything like this and it sure tickled my fancy.It flew like a humming bird but was fuzzy even made a weird kinda sound!
Here is one of the shots I got of the one that nearly killed me.
Sorta glad he said hi to me *LOL

Very interesting to watch.Not the cutest of moths to say the least.

Kale:)
 
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deck chucker

New Member
No pictures to my story, but when my neighbor and I weren't knocking Japanese beetles into an old can with gas and water in it after dissecting their legs from their bodies we were by the barn digging in the dirt making housing complexes for grasshoppers and praying mantises. We made small mountains and ponds for them and did landscaping with twigs and rocks. There's not as many around as I remember as a kid, but there's no longer the garden my grandparents had either.
Bugs still fascinate me. I love your stories!
 

Crabbergirl

Super Moderator
Staff member
I can't wait till summer to show you my lubbers. If you have never seen one you will freak out! LOL!
 

shinekeeper

New Member
I can't wait to see lubbers...is that their name or your nickname for them?

Deck...you sound like my kind of kid!

Kale, that's funny! I was "stalking" a hummingbird moth like yours one day and they seem to be camera shy. I followed it and it would go behind things and avoid me like the Plague. Well, I grew tired of the chase and started tending to some weeding. That li'l sucker THEN began stalking ME! I would turn my head and it would bump me...I would look and it left. Every time I looked away, it nailed me! On the cheek, the forehead...kinda like, "there, chick...how do YOU like being aggravated?????" I guess they have real personalities!!
 

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