Well, at least we had one sunny day. Along with the rest of us, the insects crawled from their hidey holes in bark crevasses, burrows in the ground and old wood. A couple of days ago I got a brief glimpse of what I suspected was a California tortoiseshell butterfly (Nymphalis californica). Sometimes, for reasons […]
bees
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Spring Wildflowers and the Bees that Love Them
To be honest opportunities for a bug photographer have been rather slim lately with all the rain and cold weather. The other night, coming home late I found a nearly comatose bumblebee on my lucky horse shoe. Of all the members of the order Hymenoptera (which translates to, “membrane wing”) which includes ants, bees, wasps, […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Bees and May-bees on the Willow
The pussy willows are just starting to bloom along the river and, being pretty much the only game in town, they’re attracting the early birds of the insect world. Bumblebees, adapted to cool weather, were out and defending their territory by circling around me at a dizzying pace. These are the next generation of queens […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Hunters and Gatherers
Two Killers and a Charmer With the insect season winding down, the imported species of praying mantis (Mantis religiosa) are now mature and can occasionally be seen flying. Insects only get fully developed wings in their final molt. Although there are some exceptions, mantises aren’t among them. Flying they look like less agile dragonfly. The […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Two Killers and a Charmer
The insect season is winding down. The imported species of praying mantis, (Mantis religiosa) are mature now and can occasionally be seen flying. Insects only get fully developed wings in their final molt. Although there are some exceptions, mantises aren’t among them. Flying, they look like less agile dragonfly. The four wings and size are […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Locals Among the Invaders
Finding myself with an uncommitted day and the Himalaya berries in season, I went blackberry picking along some of my favorite logging roads. I did OK but the best part of the day was wandering through patches of Queen Anne’s lace, cat’s ear, pampas grass, Scotch broom and bird’s foot trefoil. One and all thriving […]
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HumBug: Honeybees are Loveable and Love Plums
Honeybees are everyone’s favorite. After all, they pollinate our crops, make wax and honey, their language is a dance and they are the perfect model of a socialist society. They toil tirelessly gathering nectar and pollen, cleaning and building their home, and tending to the needs of the queen, who in turn produces eggs which […]
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HumBug: Underfoot
On a recent walk through a local redwood grove, my young companion, knowing I’m interested in bugs, pointed out a beetle on the path. It was dead and, although it was in the middle of a footprint, externally undamaged. So I collected it. Hey, it was dead when I got there. Interestingly enough, it was […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Bumbling into Spring
It snowed here Monday night and has been cold for the rest of the week. Because insects are cold blooded, this means there just weren’t many out and about, but I did get buzzed by a bumblebee feeding on the newly emerged pussy willows. I don’t think they get much nectar from any individual catkin, […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Home Again
Returning from a two week vacation near Olympia, Washington, where I saw practically no bugs at all, I was greeted with a large millipede and a spider at my front door. It’s good to be home. Spring, I find, is springing all around. Judging by daffodil blooms here in Humboldt County, we’re about two weeks […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Mystery Markings
I can’t say how long it’s been since I first noticed many of the honeybees in my backyard appeared to have been marked. Their thoraxes looked white and dusty on top. At first I thought they might have been branded by the owner of their hive. A tiny brush near the entrance to the hive […]
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HumBug: In the Key of Bee
We’ve finally had three days of warmish weather and the garden is abuzz with the sounds of busy bees. If you listen carefully, you can hear each species with its own pitch and rhythm. There is, of course, the familiar drone of the honeybee and the heavy bass of the yellow faced bumble bee (Bombus […]