I had a visitor in my garden today :)

DH was commenting on how few insects there seem to be - hardly any bees or butterflys - are any of you experiencing a lack of insects?

I agree!

Ooops, cross post. I meant that I agree with Becky's comment! Nice pics!

This message was edited Jun 11, 2007 10:07 AM

Seandor - Absolutely! I noticed less butterflies this spring. Not nearly as many bees either. Though, unfortunately, the wasps are back with a vengeance! :-(

I wonder if the weird winter we had this year messed up the natural timing for insects to return? I think many folks here have noticed this as well.

I've got a lot of bees, no butterflies and TONS of aphids.

Sofonisba - LOL! Similar thing happened here to me in Florida. I still don't have many butterflies, but am seeing a few more each day. It's got me stumped, too! I had way too many aphids for about 2 months until all the ladybugs came back to visit and dine. :-) No aphids now. Though I am still seeing ladybugs. Maybe they are now on patrol. :-)

I ordered some ladybugs in the mail two weeks ago... still waiting... it might be too late now. Mostly, I've been cutting off the growth that's covered in aphids and stick the whole thing in a bucket of soapy water.

Lots of bees of all types here. Hummingbirds too. Still early for butterflies. Have fireflies for about a week now.

I just saw a yellow (swallowtail?) in my yard 10 minutes ago. Nice! I noticed the fireflies over the weekend.

fireflies are way cool. No such thing west of the Rockies.

I've been seeing the swallowtails, but they have been high up in the canopy. I had quite a few aphids, but I ordered 4500 lady bugs and they did the job. I've noticed some bees, but I hope everyone gets busy. I have lots of buds on my tomato and it would be nice if they got pollinated!

Saw the first firefly here last week, no shortage of any other bugs around here.

Starting to see more butterflies now too. And the three welts on my head prove the skeeters are here in abundance.

We got fireflies back in early March. I haven't seen any since though. I think they like the cooler temps in winter here!

I've got aphids, aphids, aphids! I ordered a double shipment of ladybugs, but they're taking so long to get here. I hope they work. Any advice?

WOW, I hear all of you regarding aphids. I don't think I've ever seen a aphid on any of my plants. And lady bugs....they come in by the millions around August around here. Gets so bad I have to vaccuum them up. Wonder why I don't get aphids?....not complaining or anything *lol*. Maybe Maine is just too cold for them?

Kim

Maybe its the hordes of lady bugs?

Cloudy evening at the little league game and the gnats were like I never experienced before.

Are gnats those tiny little flies that drive me crazy first thing in the morning? They don't seem to bite . . .

On the west coast, we have no-see-ums - very tiny flies that do bite - very itchy.

Is there anything I can do to get rid of these annoying little flies? Do they harm the plants (since they don't seem to be harming me)?

They do affect people, causing them to double post. ;)
That's them. I notice them in the evening or when it's cloudy. You end up eating or inhaling a few of them. Yuck.

Later in the summer we get some kind of swarm of gnat like bugs that will swarm about 10 feet in the air and then come down for a second or so and then go back up 5', it's the weirdest thing I've seen.

Have quite a few that visit here also. They are the ones in the catapillar stage that invade your tomato and Pepper plants. Green w/ a big Horn thus known as Tomato Hornworms. Can get as big as your index finger and love to chew on a nice green tomato.

Check w/ the town of K-bunk as most now have free compost at the Transfer Stations for residents.

kdcon

OMG really? I have never thought about asking the transfer station for compost. I should really do that. I know during the winter they give out salt but I have never gone down to get any, we just buy it *lol* I never think of these things.

Kim

I wish my town was that progressive!