We planted Milkweed late last year after hearing of the Monarch Butterfly decline. This year, the plants were getting bigger and starting to fill out. By mid-August, the tall plants appeared to be dying. On closer inspection, the stalks and leaves of the plants were covered with thousands of bright orange aphids. But the true … Continue Reading
Our dog Boo has always been an adventurer, starting from the moment we adopted him ten years ago at 6 months of age. With an acre and a half of partially wooded property to explore, our Great Pyrenees would find new things to investigate on a daily basis. He considers himself the protector of all … Continue Reading
Our ladybugs usually hibernate inside the crevices of the split trunk of a wild cherry tree. In late spring, after leaves have sprouted and temperatures are consistenly near 60 degrees, they emerge from hibernation. When they emerge, they do so all at once. There will be a spontaneous eruption of thousands of ladybugs crawling in … Continue Reading
Our hummingbirds don’t like to share, so we have to place multiple small 2 ounce feeders throughout the yard. Once ants find the feeders, they track a lot of dirt and block the openings which discourages the hummingbirds. It also means we have to clean the feeders more frequently than normal. We’ve devised several different … Continue Reading
The DIY hummingbird ant moat guard is simple to make and also works well in keeping ants off the hummingbird feeder. It makes feeder cleanings easy because we don’t have to worry about reapplying mentholatum ointment after each washing. However, it does mean we have to routinely monitor the water levels in each of feeders … Continue Reading