Thursday, June 29, 2006

good night bugs

so i think (knock on wood) i have been pretty lucky in regards to my garden. i read about japanese beetles, cucumber beetles and what not, and i (again, knock on wood) have yet to wage battle with pests. but never the less, i've found some interesting creatures sharing my garden, and if they are not hurting plants, i generally try to leave nature to nature (hence keeping my windblownin mint garden):


this little guy was afraid of nothing. i actually thought he was dead, and only after poking him a couple times was i fully aware of how alive he was.


i was excited about this little one. i found him crawling around my lettuce. which means my garden has graduated to attracting beneficial insects and i feel i have graduated to being a true gardener. or it could just mean that i have aphids.


what type of critter is this? he was hanging on my mint stalks (but after close inspection, none of my plants anywhere showed signs of pest damage) and i was mesmorized by his color. reminded me of a clownfish like aphid really. he too was not afraid of anything until i tried to hand pick him. that's when he jumped super high.

4 comments:

Stunned Donor said...

That bottom guy is a leafhopper and they aren't good guys.

R said...

good to know. just feel bad having to drown him in soapy water. next time....

David (Snappy) said...

its hard being a gardener with a conscience.I last year did night raids on the slugs and snails, but was sad at having to dispose of them after.A salty end.Slug pellets were too easy to lay down, but i dont have any more.I want to try an organic control so as not to harm the birds and beneficial insects in my garden.Its always good to spot some wildlife in your garden.

R said...

that's my thing wtih the pesticides. i'm okay with the occasional hole in a leaf or a spot here or there, but more so, it's the other beneficial critters i am most worried about.
i think steven had suggested to another the beer in a dish trick for slugs and snails. or maybe it was just snails. i don't know. i think it was posted at kalyns kitchen.