Yesterday I was out watching in my garden and spotted what seemed at first like a very odd shaped bug. On closer examination it turned out to be a dragonfly (or damselfly? I'm not very good at ID'ing) that had captured a honeybee and was eating it.
I have lots of honeybees in the garden, but still it made me sad. Is this common? Do the dragon (or whatever) flies eat enough other stuff (like mosquitos, of which I have more than plenty) to make it worth it?
Cycle of life I guess...
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
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applestar
- Mod
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I know we all want what WE call "good" bugs to only eat the "bad" bugs, but nature doesn't work that way. I found monarch butterfly wings under the tomato plant the other day. Spider? Praying mantis?
...I saved the wings for the Monarch butterfly first aid kit in case I find a butterfly in need of wing repairs. So even in death, this butterfly will benefit others.
I had two insect barrier tunnels set up this year to protect my cabbages, broccoli, etc. They work well as long as every possible access is blocked, but butterflies and moths still get in once in a while through accidentally left open gaps.
Earlier in the summer, I had seen a smallish praying mantis "trapped" under one of the tunnels, which helped it escape from a male cardinal intent on catching it for one of his babes, but when I removed that tunnel about a month ago to harvest the row and plant melons, I couldn't find it anywhere... Which explained one of the cabbages infested with cabbage moth caterpillars... But it must have been pretty thorough because everything else was free of bugs or slugs. I assumed it got out and was roaming the rest of the garden.
Yesterday, I removed the 2nd tunnel to harvest and prep for fall crop, and -- what to you know? -- there it was! All grown up. Again, clean vegs.
From now on, I'm going to stick a baby mantis under each of these tunnels. There are always plenty in late spring/early summer.
...I saved the wings for the Monarch butterfly first aid kit in case I find a butterfly in need of wing repairs. So even in death, this butterfly will benefit others.
I had two insect barrier tunnels set up this year to protect my cabbages, broccoli, etc. They work well as long as every possible access is blocked, but butterflies and moths still get in once in a while through accidentally left open gaps.
Earlier in the summer, I had seen a smallish praying mantis "trapped" under one of the tunnels, which helped it escape from a male cardinal intent on catching it for one of his babes, but when I removed that tunnel about a month ago to harvest the row and plant melons, I couldn't find it anywhere... Which explained one of the cabbages infested with cabbage moth caterpillars... But it must have been pretty thorough because everything else was free of bugs or slugs. I assumed it got out and was roaming the rest of the garden.
Yesterday, I removed the 2nd tunnel to harvest and prep for fall crop, and -- what to you know? -- there it was! All grown up. Again, clean vegs.
From now on, I'm going to stick a baby mantis under each of these tunnels. There are always plenty in late spring/early summer.
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PunkRotten
- Greener Thumb
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- Joined: Sat Apr 16, 2011 8:48 pm
- Location: Monterey, CA.
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PunkRotten
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1989
- Joined: Sat Apr 16, 2011 8:48 pm
- Location: Monterey, CA.
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