Fireflies, or lightning bugs as my dad used to call them, are a welcome sight due to their spectacular nighttime displays. We usually see them from the middle of June into July in our backyard. Fireflies, however, are actually not flies at all; they are beetles. There are over 165 species of … [Read more...]
Wasps by Heather Holm
THE BUZZ ABOUT WASPS BY HEATHER HOLM AN INFORMATION-PACKED GUIDE TO FLOWER-VISITING WASPS THAT OCCUR IN EASTERN NORTH AMERICA To order WASPS is the first full-color, illustrated guide featuring approximately 150 species of flower-visiting wasps, and the specific native plants and habitat each … [Read more...]
Lamiaceae Family
In this hot, very humid weather the invasives are taking control of my lawn. All the species in this genus are native to Eurasia. I asked John Zaborsky of the Wisconsin State Herbarium, "Do I need to eradicate them? The prairie doesn’t seem to mind." He answered, "Maybe. All three spread along the … [Read more...]
Violets
With the overwhelming abundance of ephemerals, the spring violets are going "gangbusters!" The E-Mail The other day I got an e-mail from someone who wanted to know how to get rid of the wild violets in her lawn. How she “hated” them and tried to eradicate them from her lawn. How the violets just … [Read more...]
Bee Basics
Bee Basics: An Introduction to Our Native Bees By Beatriz Moisset, Ph.D. and Stephen Buchmann, Ph.D and llustrations by Steve Buchanan. A USDA Forest Service and Pollinator Partnership Publication. Download for free. Introduction Native bees are a hidden treasure. From alpine meadows in the … [Read more...]
Ephemerals
There is much more to see. The immature Cooper's hawk is flying around to check out bird feeders because they do go after small birds. The pollinators have just a smidgen of hope to see wildflowers. Here in Northeast Wisconsin I have seen: (Click a single photo – then click the photo again … [Read more...]
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