Insects count as critters, right?
While walking the beach not long ago, there were a surprising number of lady beetles all over.
So many, in fact, in some places, it was impossible not to step on any.
I also saw a couple of these guys…
At first, I thought this one was dead. Especially when a wave reached its wings and it didn’t move. It wasn’t dead, though, and I was able to move it a short distance, where the waves could no longer reach it.
My daughter removed this from the sun room.
This is a Bald Faced Hornet.
Which isn’t actually a hornet, but a type of Yellow Jacket Wasp.
Our Chinese Elm are just buzzing with these guys. Typically, they are high up and, if we leave them alone, they’ll leave us alone.
One got into the sun room and was busily giving itself a concussion on one of the windows when my daughter first saw it, as the girls were putting the kittens into the sun room for the night.
Unfortunately, the kittens immediately started going for it.
Since she didn’t want a stung kitten, she got it out using a glass and a piece of paper. After very carefully putting the glass on the step near one of the Chinese Elm and removing the paper, she figured it would leave.
Apparently, it was thoroughly stunned from bashing itself against the window for so long, and took its time exploring the inside and outside of the glass. Which allowed me to get this photo.
Thankfully, it soon disappeared.
They seem to be attracted only to the Chinese Elm, not the other types of elm that are around.
Another reason to eventually take those trees down. Along with everything else he has to deal with, my husband is allergic to stings.
The Re-Farmer
Today has been a day to stay inside, where it’s cooler – and to allow my body to recover from yesterday a bit more.
Which means I’m feeling decidedly unproductive.
I did manage to finally clean the windows on the outside, around the house, and on the inside in the sun room.
The kittens didn’t know what to make of that!!
I tried to get some pictures of bees, too. The problem is, with the bright sunshine, I can’t tell if my phone is focusing where I want it to, or not!
I did manage a good one, though.
This is a smaller variety of our native bumble bees. So pretty. :-)
One of the things I tried to do today was remove those bottom hinge pins on the gate posts. We’ve been spraying them with penetrating lubricant regularly, in hopes that would help.
It didn’t. The hinges themselves can rotate freely, but those nuts are just not moving. My older brother had managed to get a few turns on this one, and that was as far as it would go.
I suspect they will need to be cut off.
The next thing to consider is how to clean these in preparation for painting. I’m hoping the detergent we got to wash the gates I’ve been painting will be enough to remove the lubricant.
As for the gates, they’ve been flipped in preparation to do the other sides, but if I am able to do it at all today, it will be after things start to cool down!
Looking at the forecast, it looks like we’ve finally reached that time of year where the only productive work outside will have to be done in the early hours, or the evenings, to avoid heat stroke.
The Re-Farmer
While walking near the harbour in town, I passed these very interesting looking seed pods.
One of them was hiding a tiny surprise.
The Re-Farmer
A couple of photos from when we were exploring the native plants garden.
This bee photo was pure serendipity. It was the first of several I took, in quick succession, and the only good one of the bee!
This was in a structure near the native plants garden that I think is actually there to disguise and protect some infrastructure equipment. There were several wasps nests in varying stages of construction, all on the shadow side of these support beams.
I didn’t see the spiders until I uploaded the photos, though.
I’ve seen many wasp nests in varying stages of construction before, but never have I seen the cells exposed like this, at this size. The little ones on the left of the photo is usually about as big as they get, before they get covered over. I think the high level of protection they have in these locations may have something to do with it.
The Re-Farmer
The Re-Farmer 