Bert and Ernie or Berta and Ernietta?

Just a quick post on the monarchs arrival on 7-15-15.  I checked them in the morning and could barely detect the wing, and when I checked again around 3pm they were out!  It is really amazing.  We had some stormy wet weather that day but the sun was coming out so I set them outside in the sun to help dry their wings.  After a couple of hours I opened the coop, and Bert didn't hesitate.  He flew straight up and zoomed over the evergreens, gone in seconds.  Ernie took a bit longer and hung around for awhile.  Today a monarch was in the yard, laying eggs... here we go again!  These will be the 4th generation monarch that heads back to Mexico.

Ernie on left, empty chrysalis, Bert

Ernie drying wings, slight tear on right rear.

Ernie ready, set, go!

another rest in the evergreens

Greenie

Some Like It Hot!

Like it or not, Hot is what we got!  I do like a few days of really hot weather-I think it is necessary to remove the previous winter's cold from the bones!  Plus it is fun to see plants grow right before your eyes!
The garden is growing- some areas better than others, and as always I find areas that need a tweak here and there!  It also seems like the bug population is bigger than usual, and I'm getting new insects.  This is usually not a good thing.  I've discovered a new bug I call the ladybug on steroids, but she's no lady, it is a milkweed leaf beetle, and all I've seen it eat is the plant.  The milkweed stem weevil is also pretty destructive to the milkweed plant- she lays eggs in the stem of the plant.  So it's easy to see she is in the yard, not always as easy to find her.  I've always had a kind of "live and let live" attitude about bugs, but not this summer!  They are destroying the brussel sprouts, weakening the milkweed, invading my apples, and chewing on my grapevine.  I've overcome my squeamishness, and I'm committed to squishing!  I encountered a new insect today, and didn't even realize it was an insect until I looked at the photo on my laptop.  I'll see if the U of M extension service knows what is-good bug or bad bug?  It is a pretty cool looking bug.  The good news on the insect front is about all the bees in the yard, big bees, tiny bees, definitely hungry bees!  Bert and Ernie should be emerging soon!  Greenie

cool looking insect! Bee on top.

tiny bees on prairie clover



wasp or bee? on butterfly weed

large Bumblebee on Monarda

Bee heaven

another pretty face



porch vines

Bert's closeup