It's a jungle in the garden!

[Marsha Cassada]

Besides our war on millions of grasshoppers this year, and swarms of blister bugs, we've added the autumn wasp alert. Generally, I like the paper wasps, as they are predators and pollinators. But in the late summer, they start to eat fruit. They are devouring the black eyed peas, and if a tomato gets a little hole in it, they hollow it out over night. I hate to destroy their nests, as they are good. But too many wasps doesn't work. My husband would like to destroy ALL wasps--he can't stand to get near them or have them buzz around. But they rarely bother me while I'm working. And pollinators are good.

When I went out to work in the garden this morning, more evidence of the garden as a jungle:

www.cassphoto.com/mantis.jpg

I've never figured out how to add photos in the new forum format.

 

[jacks'thunder]

Wow! Cool picture! I'm a huge fan of Praying Mantis, just found one last night, a small little guy. Poor butterfly, but a Mantis has to eat too!! lol!

 

[atotton]

That is pretty cool.

 

[Riverrose28]

Hubby has been able to keep up with the big garden, but were the potatoes are planted is yet another story, he is out there now bush hogging all the jungle down, just so he can start digging. We now have ground hogs eating what they want, and squirrels stealing our apples and peaches.

 

[Jill]

Oh man!

H and I wanted to do a garden this year. We have some fruit trees already. We kind of bickered about where the garden should go, then we found a new grocery store that had such great prices on produce that we just dropped it as an issue.

But, urgh, praying mantises. They look so alien! My parents' have this double door at the front of their house with side windows. I remember years ago, coming down the steps and starting to walk through the foyer when this praying mantis that was on the window TURNED his or her head to look at me! I mean, that bug was fully aware of me and watching me and it was just so creepy to realize that alien looking creature was taking me in. They just creep me out!!!