insects

Flower “Beds” for Bumble Bees

Flower “Beds” for Bumble Bees

After a busy summer season many of us find sweet relief in the fall. The chilly air and the early evenings invite us all to slow down. Have you noticed the bumble bees slowing down as well?

In dawn and dusk the last couple of weeks, you might have observed bumble bees sleeping on your flowers…

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Gentle Golden Wasps Adorned with Pollen

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Gentle Golden Wasps Adorned with Pollen

Despite my education, and the ecological role that I know they play, I have been pretty wary of wasps throughout my lifetime. It's a visceral thing. I respected their place in the food web, but I didn't lean in to study them. That is until I laid eyes on the star of this Phenology Note: the Great Golden Digger Wasp (Sphex ichneumoneus). They have won me over!

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Hallowed Habitat

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Hallowed Habitat

Typical Halloween decorations, stories, and traditions invariably include “spooky” wildlife such as owls, bats, and spiders (oh my!). However, I invite you, my dear reader, to focus on these creatures in a fresh, new way this Hallow’s Eve, by providing them with ‘Hallowed Habitat’.