My third batch of Monarchs. 6 in one, 4 in the other. 10 released to date so far

Elusia8 comments on Jun 20, 2018:

Butterfly farming is so cool!

Leafhead replies on Jun 20, 2018:

I treat it like a passion. In the winter I raise orchids to stay sane

My third batch of Monarchs. 6 in one, 4 in the other. 10 released to date so far

Mooolah comments on Jun 20, 2018:

Hooray!!!

Leafhead replies on Jun 20, 2018:

My sentiments exactly :)

We had some crazy rain and hail storms yesterday and this little hackberry emporer butterfly took a ...

Leafhead comments on Jun 20, 2018:

Poor little guy! Hope he has a better day now :)

Leafhead replies on Jun 20, 2018:

I have the Hackberry all around. I never have seen an Emperor. What else do they like and/or need?

Good morning. Here's some wtf

mistymoon77 comments on Jun 20, 2018:

This explains it so well.

Leafhead replies on Jun 20, 2018:

Your screen cover says it all. Fermi Paradox solved.

1.90 inches of rain yesterday.... this morning the first Calla lily bloom appears:

Surfpirate comments on Jun 20, 2018:

What a Beauty. We had a bunch of rain on Monday, you should see the bumper crop of weeds I was hoeing this morning. :D

Leafhead replies on Jun 20, 2018:

@bigpawbullets The only weed is one that's introduced and has lost all control in the ecosystem. Wildflowers are native and weeds are not

[facebook.com] not mine but I love this beauty

graceylou comments on Jun 19, 2018:

Beautiful colouring and patterns. I have to admit that I have a phobia of butterflies and moths. But I respect them and think they are beautiful creatures.

Leafhead replies on Jun 20, 2018:

@graceylou I await the day I see a snake in my garden, as long as it is a Colubrid. Every garden needs a snake. Last year I got close. I came across a toad in my garden. I also long to meet in person the Luna Moth. That is on my bucket list, so to speak. Spiders are about the only things that I'm borderline creeped out by, and that is only large spiders.

Here's an idea to lure beautiful models to your camera.

Sheannutt comments on Jun 20, 2018:

Your cheesy phone sure does take wonderful pictures I like these

Leafhead replies on Jun 20, 2018:

Thanx :) I recently learned where the crop is on this new phone, and I'm f***in dangerous lol. I love Nature and I love sharing.

My latest release

AstralSmoke comments on Jun 20, 2018:

They sure are beautiful creatures.

Leafhead replies on Jun 20, 2018:

Cut me and I bleed WHITE!

My latest release

AstralSmoke comments on Jun 20, 2018:

They sure are beautiful creatures.

Leafhead replies on Jun 20, 2018:

I fell in love at first sight. It started out as a wildlife garden until I discovered four Monarch caterpillars on my Milkweed. That's when it all went awry and I became unhinged lol Butterfly gardening should have a warning label it is so addictive!

Here's an idea to lure beautiful models to your camera.

AmelieMatisse comments on Jun 20, 2018:

Is the last one a great big moth? These are really great and colorful

Leafhead replies on Jun 20, 2018:

The big moth is a Polyphemus moth, one of the giant silk moths. The caterpillars seem to prefer birch up here, but their diet varies from region to region.

[facebook.com] not mine but I love this beauty

graceylou comments on Jun 19, 2018:

Beautiful colouring and patterns. I have to admit that I have a phobia of butterflies and moths. But I respect them and think they are beautiful creatures.

Leafhead replies on Jun 20, 2018:

@graceylou That u fortunately is human nature, it would appear :(

I know there are several garden sites here, but I consider gardening a craft .

btroje comments on Jun 20, 2018:

look forward to your posts here

Leafhead replies on Jun 20, 2018:

You asked for it.... 1. One of my releases 2. My fave, at least one of them. The Baltimore Checkerspot 3. Milkweed Longhorn Beetle. We don't always see eye to eye, but I guess they were here first. 4. Ermine Moth. Love that porch light! 5. Red Spotted Purple, another fave

I know there are several garden sites here, but I consider gardening a craft .

hankster comments on Jun 20, 2018:

woe...cool and beautiful!

Leafhead replies on Jun 20, 2018:

Thank you

I know there are several garden sites here, but I consider gardening a craft .

Spinliesel comments on Jun 20, 2018:

I am with you on the No Round-up, no Sevin. Those are amazing pictures.. I have milkweed growing naturally all round my strawbale garden , not blooming yet, but I hope to see somebutterflies soon.

Leafhead replies on Jun 20, 2018:

Milkweed blooms are a huge bonus. They ooze nectar, and attract all pollinators. The foliage itself is the fodder for Monarch caterpillars, and the butterfly will seldom lay on a plant in full bloom, with all the pollinator traffick. She will seek younger plants and plants in leaf or in bud rather than in bloom. The little guys like the undersides of leaves and especially new growth. You'll notice their presence as little crescents nibbled into the leaf. Monarchs in Fall migration care nothing for Milkweed as it is out of bloom at this time, and woody. Migrating butterflies need nectar to fuel their trip south to Mexico. Zinnias, Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia), Liatris and Goldenrod are all fall blooming plants full of nectar.

I know there are several garden sites here, but I consider gardening a craft .

I_dont_know comments on Jun 20, 2018:

Well done!

Leafhead replies on Jun 20, 2018:

Thank you so much! Got Milkweed? Any corner of the yard will do, and Common is far from the only species out there. There are well mannered and even attractive Milkweeds. Look into a list of native species in your area.

I know there are several garden sites here, but I consider gardening a craft .

CraeftSmith comments on Jun 20, 2018:

You should gather these posts on to web site!

Leafhead replies on Jun 20, 2018:

I really need to get my head out of the dirt and get computer savvy in this information age! The Internet is a perfect medium for spreading the news. That news is *not* good for the Monarch Butterflies, not to mention the bees. I do need my own website. All I can navigate at this point are smaller forums like these, and word of mouth, including talks and giveaways. While our selfish farmers won't give an inch, and poison us all in the process, homeowners can step in and provide. It doesn't take much, if everyone participates. Inform your neighbors. If you rent, approaching your landlord with savings on what would be a lawn service (cancel), along with involved partners taking over gardening "chores" has a HUGE impact. I do it wherever I have rented, at no reduction in rent. What landlord can refuse???

[facebook.com] not mine but I love this beauty

graceylou comments on Jun 19, 2018:

Beautiful colouring and patterns. I have to admit that I have a phobia of butterflies and moths. But I respect them and think they are beautiful creatures.

Leafhead replies on Jun 20, 2018:

@graceylou I had a neighbor whose son had a bad butterfly phobia, only he'd kill them. I SWIFTLY put a stop to that

I just squealed like a little girl.

dalefvictor comments on Jun 20, 2018:

If this is a huge spider that is a bag for stuff I want one too. Will scare the shit out of people. Could they be made so the legs move as one walks. Would look like it is attacking you. That is not a good idea some idiot with a gun would shoot you to save you.

Leafhead replies on Jun 20, 2018:

@graceylou I have a lizard on my leg. You win lol

A weird scene I encountered in the woods of Bald Eagle State Forest: five, dead, red-spotted purples...

btroje comments on Jun 17, 2018:

aw

Leafhead replies on Jun 19, 2018:

@Insectra Cool! I'd love to see that!

Do you support Trump?

Leafhead comments on Mar 27, 2018:

FUCK no. Trump stands for everything I am against. Trump is unhealthy for America and a huge polluter of resources and politics. I just hope Oprah can get the shit stains out of the curtains.

Leafhead replies on Jun 19, 2018:

@Cuntrycuz666 Trump separates kids from their parents. Our president is now famous for making children cry, among other atrocities. He is a black eye to democracy and a blot on the highest office in the land. He and his ilk have thoroughly bastardized the Presidency and endangered the entire world. November's coming, and so is 2020. Trump and scumbags like you will be put back in your place where you BELONG! Have a nice life, dirtbag!!

Milkweed pests in central Illinois.

Leafhead comments on Jun 17, 2018:

Earwigs. A common garden pest that goes mostly for flowers and new growth. One of few insects to tolerate Milkweed. Will NOT invade brain thru ear canal lol

Leafhead replies on Jun 19, 2018:

@MikeEC LOLOL

A weird scene I encountered in the woods of Bald Eagle State Forest: five, dead, red-spotted purples...

btroje comments on Jun 17, 2018:

aw

Leafhead replies on Jun 19, 2018:

@Insectra Whew! That's encouraging indeed!

So! The habitat garden expansion.

Leafhead comments on Jun 17, 2018:

Depending on where you are. Black Eyed and Brown Eyed Susans, Liatris, Echinacea, Veronica, Salvia, Zinnias, Lupines and Tithonia in sun as nectar plants. Joe Pye is excellent Milkweed (Swamp, Butterfly, Purple, Whorled, Showy or Common), Pussytoes, Everlasting, Passionvine, Cassia, ...

Leafhead replies on Jun 18, 2018:

@bigpawbullets Add Penstemon, Agastache and Monarda to that list for Hummingbirds golore

I brought him to a better town on the way to work. He's no longer a 'hood mouse.

Sairavana comments on Jun 17, 2018:

Oh, I adore rodents! Rats and mice especially. He's so cute! (Except hamsters. Those guys are nasty little creatures)

Leafhead replies on Jun 17, 2018:

Agreed

In my garden this afternoon

Ellatynemouth comments on Jun 15, 2018:

The butterflies knew that you had a camera on you. Such divas! Lovely photos.

Leafhead replies on Jun 17, 2018:

Thanx. Went to Pleasant Valley Conservancy and was surrounded by butterflies, predominantly Baltimores. They are really flying this time of year. A lot of Silvery Checkers pots and Skippers too. Some Monarch but not alot. 1. Two Baltimores on Purple Milkweed 2. Baltimore 3. Black Swallowtail on Golden Alexander 4. Monarch on Common Milkweed 5. Silvery Checkers pot on White Clover

Some scenes around the garden today Milkweed Longhorn Beetle Fiery Skipper Ermine Moth Monarch ...

Mooolah comments on Jun 15, 2018:

Keep 'em coming leafhead. I'm learning muchly.

Leafhead replies on Jun 17, 2018:

Four more Monarch chrysalis look ready this morning. Pix are imminent.

Today it hit 90° here in southern Ohio.

HeathenFarmer comments on Jun 15, 2018:

That is quite the chemical soup you choose to use, you better stay on the porch for a couple of weeks and away from the ground. I run a commercial farm and I would never use 2 of those chemicals, period.

Leafhead replies on Jun 17, 2018:

@kenriley There is a time and a place for RoundUp, and a way to use it. In some cases, like in buckthorn eradication, cut and paint is the only recourse, but none of this broadcast shot is condonable.

Today it hit 90° here in southern Ohio.

kenriley comments on Jun 15, 2018:

I am so against the use of all those chemicals.

Leafhead replies on Jun 17, 2018:

Me three. Bugs are better than drugs in a garden, and that goes for weeds too.

In my garden this afternoon

HeathenFarmer comments on Jun 15, 2018:

I wonder how many generations it took to get there from Mexico. Nice photos.

Leafhead replies on Jun 17, 2018:

Thanx. It took me awhile but I finally captured this American Lady nectaring on Coriopsis (on film only).

Can anyone guess what this is?

MikeEC comments on Jun 16, 2018:

Very cool! I have never heard the term "Batesian Mimicry" before. Thanks for the information. Is a Viceroy butterfly an example of this ruse? How about a hummingbird moth? Other common examples?

Leafhead replies on Jun 17, 2018:

There are a myriad of ant mimic spiders, bee or wasp mimic flies (check out Syrphid flies), wasp mimic moths and even caterpillars that look like snakes (Swallowtails). BatesIan mimicry is just a tasty and harmless animal mimicking a dangerous or toxic one. Examples are Viceroy and Hummingbird Moths.

My very first of 2018

MikeEC comments on Jun 16, 2018:

Beautiful! Here in central Illinois, I got tired of waiting so I went to a local plant nursery, found a milkweed and loaded it up with caterpillars and bought it. The pirates charged seven dollars for a scrawny swamp milkweed plant, but it was worth it to have transportation (and make sure my ...

Leafhead replies on Jun 17, 2018:

Good for you, and I wish all the luck for a successful eclosure. It looks as though I have 4 more due to eclose this AM.

So! The habitat garden expansion.

Mooolah comments on Jun 16, 2018:

Oh why o why o why o. Did I ever leave Ohio. Shade for spring. Virginia blue bells. Jacob's Ladder. Blood root. Trilliums. Anemones Shade for summer. Goat's beard (grows quite large) Cimicifuga or snake root. Jack in the pulpit Shade for autumn. Jack in the pulpit. Mums & asters One of my ...

Leafhead replies on Jun 17, 2018:

1. I remember that musical!!lol 2. Another good nursery is Bluest Farms in Baraboo, WI. They sell native only, especially if it is rare. 3. Flower Factory in Oregon, WI is another source for natives. They are not strictly into natives, but they have nearly everything!

Some scenes around the garden today Milkweed Longhorn Beetle Fiery Skipper Ermine Moth Monarch ...

Freedompath comments on Jun 15, 2018:

It is so nice to see nature at work! Thanks!

Leafhead replies on Jun 17, 2018:

Thanx. I owe it all to Nature, in absence of pesticides, of course.

Some scenes around the garden today Milkweed Longhorn Beetle Fiery Skipper Ermine Moth Monarch ...

Holysocks comments on Jun 15, 2018:

It looks like you might need to put up traffic signs for the little buggers.

Leafhead replies on Jun 17, 2018:

No, just a Do Not Enter sign for the bunnies!

Some scenes around the garden today Milkweed Longhorn Beetle Fiery Skipper Ermine Moth Monarch ...

wendyt comments on Jun 16, 2018:

Lovely....I love those little critturs.....my garden is a five acre paddock full of weeds at the moment, but I'll get to it.....<3

Leafhead replies on Jun 17, 2018:

Some of those "weeds" may be more valuable than you think. Lawn weeds like dandelions and violets are huge early nectar producers. I cultivate such weeds as nettles and Pussytoes for their host plant properties. Plus nettles are edible and nutritious.

Scenes around Pleasant Valley Nature Conservancy

Mooolah comments on Jun 16, 2018:

Red spotted purple today. Loves the dog urine in the patio kennel. My neighbor has honey bee condominiums so the honey bees visit also. Great photos again.

Leafhead replies on Jun 17, 2018:

Red Spotted Purple on Viburnum "Blue Muffin"

Scenes around Pleasant Valley Nature Conservancy

Mooolah comments on Jun 16, 2018:

Red spotted purple today. Loves the dog urine in the patio kennel. My neighbor has honey bee condominiums so the honey bees visit also. Great photos again.

Leafhead replies on Jun 17, 2018:

Try Blue Muffin Viburnum. Smells like sox, so Red Spotted Purples are attracted to them. As a side benefit, the leaves serve as a host for Hummingbird Moth larvae and they bear berries that birds love. Cultivar of native Arrowwood

Scenes around Pleasant Valley Nature Conservancy

MikeEC comments on Jun 16, 2018:

Cool pictures! I checked out the site: http://pleasantvalleyconservancy.org/ I see that it is state-affiliated, but would not be there were it not for the couple who operate it. It looks like a great place to visit on a summer day. There is an article on the website devoted to Purple ...

Leafhead replies on Jun 17, 2018:

I have it in a few places in my garden. It is slow growing and bunny prone for the first couple years, but it oozes nectar when it blooms! There is some at Pleasant Valley as well, and I got some good shots of enraptured butterflies

My favorite is from Mark 11:13 God hates figs!

Heraclitus comments on Jun 15, 2018:

Mark 11:13-14 New International Version (NIV) Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.”

Leafhead replies on Jun 15, 2018:

Christ may have been a good fisherman, but he was a lousy gardener.

In my garden this afternoon

bigpawbullets comments on Jun 15, 2018:

Always great to see them.

Leafhead replies on Jun 15, 2018:

Absolutely. I have some more pix. I cropped the best I could. 1. Milkweed Longhorn Beetle 2. American Lady caterpillar 3. Red Spotted Purple 4. American Lady nectaring on Coreopsis 5. Grey Hairstreak

Yikes! I had to take cover, get out of the garden today.

Surfpirate comments on Jun 14, 2018:

I take it a side effect of the antibiotics is photo sensitivity.

Leafhead replies on Jun 15, 2018:

More the drugs that end in -mycin, like Erythromycin, Streptomycin and other Penicillin alternatives

What's the difference between Stormy Daniels and a camel? A camel SPITS.

FrayedBear comments on Jun 13, 2018:

Ok. Who is Daniels?

Leafhead replies on Jun 14, 2018:

@FrayedBear You don't know how "blessed" you are! Trump is making an awful mess of things, and has thoroughly bastardized the highest office in the land. Cheers. You guys Down Under seem to really have your shit together

I live in Oklahoma.

DharmaBum50 comments on Jun 12, 2018:

Can't believe it. There's a place even worse than Kentucky. My condolences!

Leafhead replies on Jun 13, 2018:

Oklahoma is the left nostril of the USA

What's the difference between Stormy Daniels and a camel? A camel SPITS.

FrayedBear comments on Jun 13, 2018:

Ok. Who is Daniels?

Leafhead replies on Jun 13, 2018:

Where have you been? She's Trump's whore

Swallowtails in central Illinois.

Mooolah comments on Jun 12, 2018:

Spectacular. My swallowtails love the Joe Pye Weed & any kind of sunflower related plant such as cup plant or compass plant. I bought some fennel but it isn't happy. So I will try again from seed.

Leafhead replies on Jun 13, 2018:

@Countrywoman Prairie burns are more fun than just about anything! Part of me is a pyro, but mostly it's the greenery that comes from the destruction that amazes me. Same is necessary for other habitats like the Florida Everglades. It is like watching the Phoenix rise from the ashes. Talk about reinvention!

Swallowtails in central Illinois.

TheAstroChuck comments on Jun 12, 2018:

I've been seeing giant swallowtails in my wildflowers in the Catskill Mts. of NY.

Leafhead replies on Jun 13, 2018:

Big Tiger Swallowtail just sighted in South WI. Hoping she left some eggs

All 11 keets hatched I had to help a few of the last ones that where running out of time.

Leafhead comments on Jun 13, 2018:

Sweet! Do you raise them as pest control or pets? My big crush years back was Button Quail. Probably the cutest little chick's you'll ever see. And very, very fragile.

Leafhead replies on Jun 13, 2018:

@Donto101 No doubt :)

More than enough milkweed! The attached pictures show only two of several groupings of common ...

btroje comments on Jun 12, 2018:

Milkweed is just starting to bloom here.

Leafhead replies on Jun 13, 2018:

Here too. Rain is making most of my top heavy syriacas to lie flat. Ground cover Asclepias.

Real world

SilverDollarJedi comments on Jun 13, 2018:

By the way if a doctor tells you your kid has ADD and needs medication, consider the possibility that maybe your distracted kid is simply a normal healthy kid and the doctor might just be receiving some bitchin' incentives from some drug company or another to turn your kid into a meth addict. ADD ...

Leafhead replies on Jun 13, 2018:

I was the most hyperactive of kids, and I turned out fine. I'm a "hyper" adult, which just means I'm active. ADD my ass. Screw doctors. Screw big pharmacy and their pseudo-sorcery. I've had it with the cost of health care, and the quality too. Why? BIG F***ING PHARM!! That concludes my rant for today...

Swallowtails in central Illinois.

Mooolah comments on Jun 12, 2018:

Spectacular. My swallowtails love the Joe Pye Weed & any kind of sunflower related plant such as cup plant or compass plant. I bought some fennel but it isn't happy. So I will try again from seed.

Leafhead replies on Jun 13, 2018:

@btroje Pyro culture is a vital part of prairie maintenance as well, as it clears out dead detritus, returns carbon and phosphorus back to the soil and kills most but the toughest invasives. You wouldn't know by looking at first, but that blackened, charred "wasteland" roars back to life within days, especially after a good rain.

Swallowtails in central Illinois.

Mooolah comments on Jun 12, 2018:

Spectacular. My swallowtails love the Joe Pye Weed & any kind of sunflower related plant such as cup plant or compass plant. I bought some fennel but it isn't happy. So I will try again from seed.

Leafhead replies on Jun 13, 2018:

First fireflies in earnest last night

Swallowtails in central Illinois.

TheAstroChuck comments on Jun 12, 2018:

I've been seeing giant swallowtails in my wildflowers in the Catskill Mts. of NY.

Leafhead replies on Jun 13, 2018:

@MikeEC Rue seems to be a bust here in So. Wisconsin. Can you suggest an alternative perennial? I know they'll come to Prickly Ash, but that's an invasive species here. It's one of those invasive I have mixed feelings about. I suspect there is a resident colony of Giants in a neighborhood in NW Middleton because of their Prickly Ash problem. I would love to find native reps of Rutaceae here in the Madison area.

Spiffed up Murray the Monitor's bioactive setup. Some zebra isopods at work. Pothos and vermiliad.

Leafhead comments on Jun 9, 2018:

What do the isopods do?

Leafhead replies on Jun 9, 2018:

@AmiSue Cool. Thank for the info. Who knew a "Rolly-Poly" could be so useful

My next "class" in " Caterpillar College"

Donna_I comments on Jun 8, 2018:

Awe! They grow up so quick!

Leafhead replies on Jun 9, 2018:

And eat so much!

I have a Carpenter Bee in an old snag. Cute little bugger.

SurvivorSteph comments on Jun 1, 2018:

I watched a black bumble bee enlarge its den in a snag I had in my yard. It was pretty cool to see.

Leafhead replies on Jun 8, 2018:

I watched a "bumblebee" sitting on a leaf. But it wasn't a bee at all. A bee would never just sit on a leaf. Then I noticed its head; this was a FLY, complete Batesian mimicry!

Up date on my dragon fruit.

CraeftSmith comments on Jun 7, 2018:

I wonder if there is a way to do this with the risk of mold. I have the same problem. Maybe @leafhead knows?

Leafhead replies on Jun 8, 2018:

@CraeftSmith YVW

Pic 1 Monarch chrysalis, J-cat and crawl-off. Pic 2 A chrysalis, first of season

CraeftSmith comments on Jun 7, 2018:

I really need to get I to this. Butterflies might be the one pet I have time to manage.

Leafhead replies on Jun 8, 2018:

@CraeftSmith not so much at first, but the big guys will keep you hopping. The important thing is KEEPING THEM IN FOOD! A caterpillar out of chow will turn on a chrysalis if it has to. The other important thing is sterilization of the enclosures between broods. Soaking in 10% bleach for 1 hr and well- rinsed afterward will kill any germ or OE spores hanging around. Changing floral foam between feedings and renewing host will prevent disease. Cleaning cages at least once a day for the big guys is necessary

Pic 1 Monarch chrysalis, J-cat and crawl-off. Pic 2 A chrysalis, first of season

CraeftSmith comments on Jun 7, 2018:

I really need to get I to this. Butterflies might be the one pet I have time to manage.

Leafhead replies on Jun 7, 2018:

They are not so much pets as charges. You don't keep the butterfly; you release upon eclosure. Caterpillars are more work than you think. They eat and poop constantly, and must be kept in fresh host. The cages need frequent cleaning and sterilizing. The caterpillars have to be segregated by instar, and every scrap of host must be inspected and washed for parasites. So there's a lot to it. Keeps me hopping, especially the big tanks!

Up date on my dragon fruit.

CraeftSmith comments on Jun 7, 2018:

I wonder if there is a way to do this with the risk of mold. I have the same problem. Maybe @leafhead knows?

Leafhead replies on Jun 7, 2018:

Soaking for 24 hours is sufficient, without time for mold to form

Bearded Dianthus, full bloom

HippieChick58 comments on Jun 6, 2018:

so pretty, so lacy!

Leafhead replies on Jun 7, 2018:

It was love at first sight! Pollinators like it too

Bearded Dianthus, full bloom

CeliaVL comments on Jun 7, 2018:

Very pretty and delicate. Looks as if you have a temperate climate.

Leafhead replies on Jun 7, 2018:

I do, and a warm place in my heart for Dianthus

Bearded Dianthus, full bloom

Donna_I comments on Jun 6, 2018:

I didnt realize the dianthus had a bearded version. Very pretty!

Leafhead replies on Jun 6, 2018:

Thanx :)

Not a "garden" but the wild Blanket flowers have burst into bloom.

CeliaVL comments on Jun 6, 2018:

Are they a wild gazania?

Leafhead replies on Jun 6, 2018:

Gaillardia

Save our fireflies ??

Leafhead comments on Jun 5, 2018:

Fireflies are a welcome addition to my gardens, along with other insect fauna. I can think of no more magical way to usher in the warm summer months. Most people don't know, but firefly larvae feed on slugs and snails

Leafhead replies on Jun 5, 2018:

@AstralSmoke Especially this year

I have a purple robe locust tree near my house.

Leafhead comments on Jun 3, 2018:

Cut suckers and paint with industrial strength Roundup. That'll take the whole tree out without damaging anything else around it. That's how we treat invasives here like Buckthorn and Japanese Honeysuckle.

Leafhead replies on Jun 5, 2018:

@annedoneal In that case, you have quite a maintanence chore

Do you support Trump?

Leafhead comments on Mar 27, 2018:

FUCK no. Trump stands for everything I am against. Trump is unhealthy for America and a huge polluter of resources and politics. I just hope Oprah can get the shit stains out of the curtains.

Leafhead replies on Jun 5, 2018:

@Countrycuz666 Nah, let's just sell out to RUSSIA. Even many Republicans are calling Trump a traitor. My dad is twirling in his grave! He was a staunch Republican, and Trump would make him sick to his stomach. All traitors should be shot. Impeach Trump now! You know he's in bed with Putin!

Some of my 5th instar Monarch cats

TerriCity comments on Jun 4, 2018:

I'm not familiar with the 4th & 5th instar terms. Are those subspecies?

Leafhead replies on Jun 5, 2018:

An instar is just a stage of growth. After each caterpillar molts, it goes into a new size, or instar. Upon hatching, the larva is a 1st instar. After the first molt, it is a 2nd instar, and so on. There are five instars, and the caterpillar molts five times. The fifth molt results in a chrysalis, or pupa

Some of my 5th instar Monarch cats

Mooolah comments on Jun 4, 2018:

They getting so big.

Leafhead replies on Jun 4, 2018:

And eating like crazy!

Bearded Dian thus bloomed this AM

WalterWhite comments on Jun 4, 2018:

Looks like Dian needs a shave

Leafhead replies on Jun 4, 2018:

Dianthus, one word until spellcheck nailed it. SC doesn't like Latin

Bearded Dian thus bloomed this AM

farmboy2017 comments on Jun 4, 2018:

There's a 5 point star in there if you look close. Or am I nuts?

Leafhead replies on Jun 4, 2018:

Most Dicots will have 4 to 5 petals, whereas Monocots have 3 or 6 petals

Can anyone guess what this is?

MsTanya comments on Jun 2, 2018:

Butterfly food. Looks like a pretty green weed.

Leafhead replies on Jun 3, 2018:

Focus on the insect in the center

Can anyone guess what this is?

AstralSmoke comments on Jun 2, 2018:

A carpenter bee on some spearmint?

Leafhead replies on Jun 3, 2018:

Getting colder...

Can anyone guess what this is?

Mooolah comments on Jun 2, 2018:

The bumble bee or the plant it's on?

Leafhead replies on Jun 2, 2018:

Not the plant

My 4 instar Monarchs.

AstralSmoke comments on Jun 2, 2018:

So cool. A steward!

Leafhead replies on Jun 2, 2018:

Fell in love 35+yrs ago with 4 fat caterpillars on a Tropical Milkweed a neighbor gave to me. Been hooked ever since <3 Below, a 2017 release, 81 in all last season

Anyone in the so. WI area recognize this? Very fragrant

DotLewis comments on May 31, 2018:

Looks like honeysuckle.

Leafhead replies on Jun 1, 2018:

You are getting warm... Kolkwitzia, same family as Honeysuckle

Anyone in the so. WI area recognize this? Very fragrant

Ellatynemouth comments on Jun 1, 2018:

Someone else posted on this site about an app that identifies plants etc. I can't remember the name of it though. Sorry.

Leafhead replies on Jun 1, 2018:

@Countrywoman Thanx, but I just visited pl@ntnet and came up with Beauty Bush, Kolkwitzia amabilis. This plant seriously had me stumped! Thank you, pl@ntnet

Are there places you can purchase monarchs eggs and raise for release?

Leafhead comments on May 30, 2018:

A better plan would to purchase or collect Milkweed plants or seed and attract your own. You can purchase seeds and plugs thru Monarch Watch and other organizations. Results vary depending upon your surroundings but rule of thumb is the more (Milkweed) the merrier. Areas such as sterile "green ...

Leafhead replies on May 31, 2018:

@btroje What is your situation? Green desert? What is your climate? I do know that the appearance of Monarchs and other butterflies/insects is directly related to how far away one is from a solid population of such insects. Could it be that you are outside the migratory route of Monarchs?

Do you support Trump?

Leafhead comments on Mar 27, 2018:

FUCK no. Trump stands for everything I am against. Trump is unhealthy for America and a huge polluter of resources and politics. I just hope Oprah can get the shit stains out of the curtains.

Leafhead replies on May 31, 2018:

@Countrycuz666 I am for truth, justice and the American way! And I DEMAND decorum and CLASS in my elected leaders, clean environment and a scandal free administration. I demand freedom of speech and of the press. I expect to wake up not dreading nuclear war because two madmen control buttons. And I stand for an America that welcomes all able bodied contributors from other less fortunate countries. And finally, I DEMAND justice for traitors, which in my day was a FIRING SQUAD.

4th instar American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) in leaf nest, on Pussytoes (Antennaria ...

Edgeward comments on May 31, 2018:

Nice pic!!! By phone?

Leafhead replies on May 31, 2018:

Yes.

4th instar American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) in leaf nest, on Pussytoes (Antennaria ...

walklightly comments on May 29, 2018:

do they pupate within the leaf? like in a swag?

Leafhead replies on May 29, 2018:

Not that I am aware of. Red Admirals (Vanessa atalanta) pupate within the nest, but American Ladies leave the nest at 5th instar

I just collected 5 more Monarch caterpillars from the garden.

walklightly comments on May 28, 2018:

pics please!

Leafhead replies on May 29, 2018:

Here are some latest pix

One of my spidey babies with a satellite snack

Leafhead comments on May 28, 2018:

What species spider?

Leafhead replies on May 28, 2018:

@btroje Thanx

Pic 1 Asclepias purpuracea Pheasant Branch Nature Conservancy Pic 2 Asclepias Sullivantii ...

MikeEC comments on May 28, 2018:

Great pictures. Have you found eggs yet?

Leafhead replies on May 28, 2018:

Found tons of eggs, have 8 larvae and have seen two Monarch Butterflies in the garden. Pheasant Branch was loaded with Milkweed and eggs and no caterpillars yet. A few butterflies there

Spots and stripes: grape leaffolder (Desmia funeralis), the scallop shell (Rheumaptera undulata), ...

Mooolah comments on May 28, 2018:

Very nice

Leafhead replies on May 28, 2018:

Thanx. Just got back from in the garden where I collected 5 more Monarch caterpillars

Okay, it's still maybe not fit for this group; but I'ma share anyway... Barnswallow nest update:

Insectra comments on May 26, 2018:

I just noticed this post...What a nice little nest! Those look like great horned owl belly feathers lining that nest. Very cool.

Leafhead replies on May 28, 2018:

Oh, the irony...

A new species of Saturniid for my sheet: Callosamia promethea, the Promethea moth.

Leafhead comments on May 28, 2018:

My recent contribution to Saturniidae Meet "Buddy", the Polyphemus Moth

Leafhead replies on May 28, 2018:

@Insectra Last year they didn't eclose until June. Here is an American Lady leaf nest on Pearly Everlasting

[success.

walklightly comments on May 25, 2018:

pretty cool. now i'm waiting for the plushie dandelion.

Leafhead replies on May 28, 2018:

Dandelions rock!

I had to move an obstinate little reptile off of the road today. How did he show his gratitude?

Lukian comments on May 25, 2018:

beer, it goes right through the shelled house like a hurricane.

Leafhead replies on May 28, 2018:

That is why beer goes faster thru the system than water. It doesn't have to stop and change color.

My first two Monarch caterpillars hatched this morning. Caterpillar Season has commenced!

Mooolah comments on May 25, 2018:

I saw the 1st one of the season laying eggs on a common milkweed.

Leafhead replies on May 27, 2018:

Good signs all around. I've have a Monarch visit for the past 4 days, and am raising 3 caterpillars. I witnessed a Black Swallowtail laying on QAL yesterday and will collect next week

Out in the pasture

CraeftSmith comments on May 27, 2018:

Doooon't even want to know what it's sitting on

Leafhead replies on May 27, 2018:

@btroje It is generally the males who visit mud puddles and dung sites and such. They are after the mineral building blocks for their male pheromones. Female Tiger Swallowtails rarely come to the ground and have more iridescent blue in their hind wings Females can be Dark Form like a Black Swallowtail, only bigger

Waldmeister - for all my German friends here.

Leafhead comments on May 27, 2018:

Sweet Woodruff grows as a native forest wildflower here in Wisconsin. It and Button bush are the only two representitives of the Coffee Family (Rubiaceae) here up north. It grows very easily

Leafhead replies on May 27, 2018:

@Spinliesel Buttonbush, though not showy, is a pollinator favorite, like most Rubiaceae members

Something good found in the garden this morning, Maybe an old spear head or some kind of scraping ...

btroje comments on May 26, 2018:

does your thumb rest in the groove on that second picture?

Leafhead replies on May 27, 2018:

@btroje Maybe a spearhead

Something good found in the garden this morning, Maybe an old spear head or some kind of scraping ...

Ellatynemouth comments on May 26, 2018:

Have you thought of taking it to a museum?

Leafhead replies on May 27, 2018:

@kenriley Sit on that thing! No telling how much it's worth. Letting it go would be a HUGE mistake. Have it evaluated, but do not sell unless you get what it's worth

I am reading about milkweed and noticed there are different kinds.

ailurophile comments on Mar 19, 2018:

I would suggest native milkweed, but that's my opinion, and not a comment based on research. Addendum: Milkweed native to your area.

Leafhead replies on May 25, 2018:

@Qualia Bunnies do eat some of the less toxic varieties of Milkweed, esp the seedlings and new growth. I have tried without success to grow Showy Milkweed, Sullivan's Milkweed, Spider Milkweed and other more rare forms. I have never seen a deer in the yard, only tons of rabbits. Everything I plant disappears! I can only grow Common, Swamp, Butterfly and Whorled Milkweeds and lately I have a Poke Milkweed that seems to have outgrown it's vulnerability. The Monarchs love that one. I tried without success to propagate from seed this last year.

Anyone into native species for their area?

Leafhead comments on May 24, 2018:

I'm in the MW but I plant for hummingbirds, butterflies and all other pollinators and bugs. I grow mostly native stuff, with a few cultivars and naturalized plants just to "class the place up". I live in a condo and have to plant some corporate looking crap, but I try to stay with conifers and ...

Leafhead replies on May 25, 2018:

@blueskies Mostly perennials like blue Salvia, Veronica, Milkweed (common, Swamp and Butterfly weed), Indigo Bush Amorpha (a pollinator mecca) and Anaphalis Pearly Everlasting. Coreopsis, Cup Plant and Joe-Pye are all good native nectar plants. I also grow Pussytoes and Golden Alexander. For annuals I grow Salvia Black and Blue for hummers, Mexican Sunflower and Cosmos. They are not native, but do they ever bring them in!

A few notes about milkweed.

TheAstroChuck comments on Apr 24, 2018:

Great post. Thanks. I'm planting milkweed this year in the Catskill Mountains of NY. For the past two years, I've been planting patches of wildflowers for our pollinators. Question: Do you have any thoughts about grinding egg shells to control pests? Sprinkling some on plants is suppose to ...

Leafhead replies on May 24, 2018:

I will keep that in mind for Japanese Beetles. Of course I won't go near hosts with eggshell or DE

A few notes about milkweed.

Donna_I comments on Apr 25, 2018:

I planted mw and columbine seeds last weekend i had three young plants last year but i think deer ar rabbits ate them as the were eaten clean to the edge of the soda bottle protecting the little guys. This year I have made a chicken wire dome. We will see how it goes.

Leafhead replies on May 24, 2018:

@MikeEC U live in S WI and rabbits are a problem on Milkweed, at least juveniles and less toxic varieties. I can only grow 4 Asclepias sucessfully. A. syriaca, A. incarnata, A. tuberosa and A. verticellata.

I've got the milkweed, plenty of butterfly attracting bushes and flowers, but no monarchs yet?

Leafhead comments on May 23, 2018:

Hang in there. I have already been visited and await egg hatching. Is that Tropical Milkweed in the pot?

Leafhead replies on May 24, 2018:

@MikeEC Going with the flow definitely is the rule. Where I live I have great luck with Swamp Milkweed, which is native here too. It is definitely better mannered in the garden too!

I've got the milkweed, plenty of butterfly attracting bushes and flowers, but no monarchs yet?

Leafhead comments on May 23, 2018:

Hang in there. I have already been visited and await egg hatching. Is that Tropical Milkweed in the pot?

Leafhead replies on May 24, 2018:

@MikeEC Great. FYI: While we're on the subject, Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) is a risky species for northern areas. For one, they stay active and viable long after the native species harden off, coaxing adults to lay well past their time. The other issue is that Tropical Milkweed is a potential carrier of OE, a dreadful parasite that affects development. Use with caution. Destroy well BEFORE migration South, and always ALWAYS wash well before giving to caterpillars! So if you ever see this for sale with its pretty red and yellow flowers and slender foliage, keep this in mind

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FrayedBear comments on May 24, 2018:

Always imo better than annuals.

Leafhead replies on May 24, 2018:

I agree. The only annuals I bother with are Cosmos, Tithonias and Black and Blue Salvia, for their nectar.