Door Knocker Blues

Want to spruce up your door? Turn your door knocker into a bug. 

Just A Little Rant About Monarchs

I’m a little peeved. I was driving down my street a couple of weeks ago and noticed all the beautiful wildflowers and grass was cut all along the sides of the street. This may be insignificant to most people, but to me, it’s a really big deal because of all the milkweed and flowers growing there. It’s extremely important to have milkweed around because Monarch butterflies use them to lay eggs and it’s the only food source for the caterpillars after they hatch. Monarchs are not only pollinators, they are also an indicator species, which help gauge the health of the environment around them and us.

There are a number of reasons why towns and cities cut down roadside weeds, however, I think it’s extremely unnecessary in some cases, especially on a quite street like mine. Weeds are cut down to improve visibility, drainage, or to get rid of invasive weeds. There is a whole list of reasons. The problem is cutting down beneficial weeds, like milkweed, which is extremely important to the environment. Milkweed grows on a lot of roadsides in my area. In my opinion, the weeds on my street weren’t  extremely overgrown and could have been cut a month from now, when it gets cooler and there aren’t as many bugs around. My town hasn’t touched them since mid Spring, if I recall correctly.

Right now, it’s especially important to conserve areas with milkweed and wildflowers because late summer and early fall is migration time for Monarchs and a time when other beneficial insects start preparing for winter. So far, I’ve only seen one Monarch this summer and that’s really sad. They’ve been declining and it’s so important to keep them around.

I follow the NRDC (National Resource Defense Council) on Facebook. They have some really important info on environmental issues, endangered species, and a whole list of other important causes.My info and updates about Monarchs comes mostly from them.   Below is a couple of helpful links and info on Monarchs:

https://www.nrdc.org/experts/sylvia-fallon/keep-calm-and-plant-milkweed

https://www.nrdc.org/experts/peter-lehner/fight-save-butterflies

http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Library/Invertebrates/Monarch-Butterfly.aspx

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/60392.html

Buzzing Bees

I’ve spotted a ton of honey bees all around my flowers and vegetable garden this summer. They’ve helped me with a great deal of pollination and I now have some awesome vegetables because of their hard work. Bees are so important to have and I’m happy about the amount of bees I have around my garden.

I have a special place in my heart for the little buzzers. I grew up with a fascination for bees and wasps. They’ve always intrigued me and I’ve never been afraid of them. I have a great respect for bees. They hold so much power in their tiny bodies and do such a great service to human kind. They are definitely an underappreciated insect.

Better Homes and Awesome Gardens

I found a cool article this morning in the April 2016 issue of Better Homes and Gardens about pollinators and the flowers they love. The article is called Winging It by Karen Weir-Jimerson. My favorite insect is bees, so I loved how the article shows the importance of them. I know it’s strange to love a stinging insect that most people fear, but I’ve always had a fascination with those little bugs. They do so much for our world and are so unappreciated. Every time I plant a flower, my goal is to attract bees and butterflies. I usually don’t buy flowers unless they do attract them. A bee and butterfly garden is the most beautiful thing you can create. It’s so easy too. It’s as simple as throwing a bunch of wildflower seeds on the ground and letting them grow into beautiful colors. So, the next time you decide to plant a flower, think of the little guys you’re providing food for.

Where’s MY Spring!?

It’s been a little cold and rainy, so some projects I wanted to do have been put on hold. I did get to build a bug hotel, which is awesome, because I’ve been wanting to do it for years.

Planting season is right around the corner! I’m getting my new garden ready and I’m planning to plant some peas today, since they like colder weather and it has been warmer than usual for March. They are one of my favorite vegetables and I can’t wait to see how they grow!

Frogs!

Thursday night, coming home from work, I saw this little dude or dudette (picture below) just hanging out in front of the house door. I guess it was so warm, all the critters decided to come out. I saw 2 frogs, a cricket, and a spider (I  shudder at that one). I think it was 78 degrees Thursday! That’s super warm for March in New York. Sadly, I had to work, so I couldn’t enjoy the beautiful day….oh well. I’m so glad to see these little critters though. It means my garden is going to be filled with creatures that can eat all the bad bugs. As much as I hate spiders, they are good for keeping pests away and so are frogs.