Tag: butterflies

It’s Pollinator Week. Read All About It.

When we think about bees, we mostly think about honeybees … a European native brought here by the very first colonists. Now honeybees are struggling, hammered by a constellation of 20-plus diseases and parasites — not to mention a range of insecticides and fungicides. About 450 species of wild bees also populate our fields and…Continue Reading It’s Pollinator Week. Read All About It.

Earth Day IPM for birds and bees — and native plants that nourish them

We’re starting this post with a detour. But we have little choice. Before you go shopping around for landscape plants, you need to know the backstory. Invasive plants, trees, shrubs, vines and flowers, many of them brought from afar because yes, they’re lovely in the landscape, have become a bit too much of a good…Continue Reading Earth Day IPM for birds and bees — and native plants that nourish them

Move Over, Medusa: Pretty? Poisonous! in the Caterpillar Clan

Our gratitude to Paul Hetzler, CCE St. Lawrence County, for letting us use this post. The IPM connection? ID those fuzzy beasts before you add them to your “warm and fuzzy” petting zoo.  When I was a kid I was fascinated by caterpillars but had trouble with the word. To me, the sweet little woolly-bear…Continue Reading Move Over, Medusa: Pretty? Poisonous! in the Caterpillar Clan

Got the Buzz? Pollinator Week Coming Up June 20 – 26

Pollinator week — coming right up on June 20 — celebrates all pollinators. There’s honey bees, of course, but also native bees. In fact, NYS IPM-funded research has counted 104 known species alone in New York’s orchards. Of course, bees pollinate more than just orchards, and 450 species all told call New York home —…Continue Reading Got the Buzz? Pollinator Week Coming Up June 20 – 26

pollination potpourri: wasps, moths, flies, beetles, and oh yes … bees

Let’s start with a short pre-blog quiz: which of these native insects pollinate plants? bees moths beetles all of the above — plus flies, wasps, butterflies, moths The answer? #4. If you left out flies and wasps because they freak you out … well, just know there’s scads of different wasps and flies — not…Continue Reading pollination potpourri: wasps, moths, flies, beetles, and oh yes … bees