Bloomin Idiots

10/21/2024

Beach flora

10/16/2024

Boo!

03/25/2024

Think spring people....

09/04/2022

Looky here

07/31/2022

06/13/2022

My garden early June

01/07/2022

This turned out nice....

12/22/2021

Front landing saying "Happy Holidays".

10/02/2021

Dahlias in my garden

08/02/2021

My gardens Sunday morning

06/02/2021

Fascinating!

SPITTLEBUGS - This is my all-time favorite insect! Ever walk through a field with tall grass and see what looks like little patches of spit here and there clinging to the stems of flowers, grass, and even certain trees (pines and juniper)? Those are homes to spittlebugs, or as some refer to them as froghoppers or leafhoppers. Leafhoppers are not the same as spittlebugs, as they do not "house" themselves in spit like the spittlebugs do. Spittlebug eggs are laid toward the end of summer in dead or dying plant vegetation. There, they will over-winter and emerge in the springtime when the vegetation is favorable for them. Inside each foamy "spit" hides the spittlebug. Often, they rest with their heads pointing downward. (See first photo) There is a reason for this, just as the dragonfly nymphs use gravity to their advantage ...but differently. The spittlebug does not "spit" from its mouth, but instead from the other end of its body. Lemme back up for a second. Spittle bugs pierce a tiny hole into a plant and suck out the nutritious water. The same water that feeds the plants. They can suck up to 300 times their weight, thus like you and I, the wastes have to leave the body. The more you drink, the more you have to p*e, too. The spittle bug perches on a "crotch" or "joint" where the leaves emerge. As they (the bug, not the plant) "piddle", if you will, it then runs toward their abdomen. When it reaches the abdomen, the glands there, excrete a sticky substance. Like us using a whip to turn cream into whipped cream, the bug will use its legs to whip the sticky stuff so it combines with the fluid wastes, thus forming bubbles that forms around the nymph for protection. Not only does the spittlebug "repurpose" its waste, there are reasons to put this "spit" to use. 1. It is nasty tasting, so it deters other insects, birds, etc. from having a feast. 2. It makes a great hiding spot for them. 3. It insulates them from both the heat, cold. 4. It helps keep their bodies moist. To my knowledge, spittlebugs do not bite, and I've handled a lot of them over the years. What I find quite interesting is that they go through FIVE nymph stages before they become adults. Each stage, they developed necessary body parts, wings, are one. Each stage, too, they change a bit in coloration from a nearly transparent creamy white color to darker green, to tan, to brown, etc. There are over 23,000 species of the spittlebug, but basically, they all have pretty much the same shape. Just look at that cuteness!! As they mature, they become master hiders ...good luck finding one. If you do, it is mostly by luck or a lot of determined searching. If you happen to be laying in some tall grass and you see something small jump a few feet away, and you know it wasn't a small cricket, then it was probably a spittlebug. They can jump over 27 inches with a sp*ed that puts any flea to shame! Incredible, even! Adults can jump vertically more than 100 times their own length, which is quite impressive to me. Talk about having a "spring in your step". I'm sure their wings help a bit, too. I do not think Maine has the species that have the ability to turn red when they feel threatened. If so, in all my observances and handling of them, I have never witnessed such a thing. One thing to note, that though they drink the same nutritious water as the plants, it would have to be a wicked infestation of them to do any harm, as they do not starve the plants of their nutrition otherwise. So, be patient, observe, and learn to appreciate their "waste" turned into "spit". HERE is a link of a few of my macro photography shots of these cute little bugs. The link will hop to the first of several photos. Gotta read the captions that show a moth with a spittlebug, too. That was quite fascinating to watch. https://www.facebook.com/WilleysDamCamp/photos/a.10150185378246887.303521.98156696886/389784691886/?type=3&theater

04/11/2021

Truth in these words.

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01/06/2021

Be the change.....

12/05/2020

A gift for our neighbor. Use what you have.

10/07/2020

Before and after.....what a mess.

09/17/2020

Look what I made today