Bugs, bugs, and more bugs.

What are two twenty-something year old single gals to do on Friday night?

 

Release ladybugs into the vegetable garden, of course!

 

 

They come in a pouch - one of those refridgerated and asleep, creepy zombie scenarios... Of course I thawed them out immediately so they woke up and started crawling all over the place - little black spider legs sticking out from the mesh of the bag.

 

They come with food and water - all you do is bring them out (we released at night so they'd hopefully stick around longer), let them thaw for a minute or two, spray down the leaves where they are going to be released (so they can have a drink, I think), and open the bag. I had to dump a bunch on my hand for the fun of it.

 

The next morning!!!

 

 

The garden is still crawling with ladybugs. It's amazing.

 

Here are a couple of photos of some other friends we've collected this summer.

 

BEES! Okay, if you have a big section of flowers where the honey bees and bumblebees gather (and you aren't deathly afraid/allergic of bees), stick your head near the flowers. Then listen. Sparing those who've had traumatic incidents with bee swarms, the hum of the busy bees... is pretty cool.

 

And now the stuff of nightmares. Guess what this little beauty is?!

 

Praying mantis egg! (I can hear the shudders from here.)

 

We think it's nearly time for the mini babies to emerge. Honestly, I can't believe Daisy and/or Jack haven't eaten this yet. It must be hidden well.

 

They'll emerge looking like little clear shrimpies... there is a ton of aphid activity on these sweet peas, so they'll have plenty of food waiting. (DOWN WITH THE APHIDS!)

 

Seriously. We have nighttime slug/aphid squashing parties (because that's how we roll... and it's not a party... it's just us two weirdos with headlamps and the dogs bouncing around.)

 

Here's more info on the worst garden pests.

 

Did you know people keep praying mantis as pets? Good Lord. I thought my brief tarantula ownership was bad enough, but these little dudes are CREEPY looking. I rue the day I come outside to find a three inch long praying mantis hanging from a bird feeder in wait.

 

Don't believe me? Check out this video. And don't blame me for the nightmares.

 

 

 

 



Here Be Dragons

 

I go back and forth between being terrified of dragon flies and loving them. Up close, they are a bit intimidating - with their giant buggy eyes staring you down from seemingly every angle. Still, standing in the middle of our now overflowing vegetable garden and staring up into the bright blue sky, it's incredible to watch the air traffic buzzing about the apple trees.



 

 

Right after I took this photo, a huge blue one came swooping down and Bluey and this guy took off in a frenzy of dive bombs. Suffice it to say, I ran for my life.