Ever Seen One Of These By Your Beehive?

I was working my hives the other day and had a visitor…

For some reason there seems to be a greater abundance of these creatures this year.

As with everything else this year, we’ll blame it on the weather.

Better yet, we’ll call him an opportunist!

This the Giant Robber Fly or “Bee Killer” and they feed on honey bees and other insects.

But because the honeybee supply is so abundant and accessible here, they are called “Bee Killers”!

They’re fast when they snatch a bee out of the air and they’re very noisy so it’s easy to know when these insects are around.

However, they have eternal patience while they wait for just the right moment.

Grab and Go meals 🙂

I like the fact that these are predatory insects, just not wild about the fact that around here their prey are my bees.

Here’s some other interesting information about the Giant Robber Fly:

There are over 7,000 species of robber flies world wide; nearly 1,000 in North America.

All robber flies have stout, spiny legs, a dense moustache of bristles on the face (mystax), and 3 simple eyes (ocelli) in a characteristic depression between their two large compound eyes. The mystax helps protect the head and face when the fly encounters prey bent on defense. The antennae are short, 3-segmented, sometimes with a bristle-like structure called an arista.

The short, strong proboscis is used to stab and inject victims with saliva containing neurotoxic and proteolytic enzymes which paralyze and digest the insides; the fly then sucks the liquefied meal much like we vacuum up an ice cream soda through a straw. Many species have long, tapering abdomens, sometimes with a sword-like ovipositor. Others are fat-bodied bumble bee mimics; the effect is quite convincing.

Florida Predatory Stink Bug

I was walking up to the front porch this morning and saw this sight…

Two things about this made me smile.  First, the orange and black bug is a Florida Predatory Stink Bug – a benenficial.  Second – he was eating a cockroach.  I REALLY dislike cockroaches.  The little American Cockroaches, like the one captured here, aren’t quite as bad as those BIG cockroaches that fly!!

I must admit, I’m fascinated by these Assasin Bugs!  See that “tube” extendging from his mouth?  They inject an enzyme into the body of their prey which liquifies the insides.  Then, The Florida Predatory Stink Bug sucks it all out – kinda like a Cockroach Smoothie!           

The fact that the FPSB (Florida Predatory Stink Bug) could catch a cockroach in the first place, puts him high on my list.  Those little suckers are fast!   …the cockroach, not the FPSB.

Another note of interest, typically a “stink bug” is a bad bug and you want to squish them.  But this particular stink bug is a beneficial so it’s good to know what they look like.  The nymphs for this particular bug are beautiful!  They look like little jewels – brilliant in color.     

Another note of interest – the FPSB will also eat those annoying little Plastabid beetle, now called the Kudzu bug.  They’re those little beetles you find all over your bean plants here in the south.

Here’s some more info on the Florida Predatory Stink Bug…http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/beneficial/e_floridanus.htm

Garden Walk – May 19, 2011

My cabbages are coming along nicely so far.  The weather’s been perfect but it’s supposed to hit the 90’s by the weekend.  Since cabbages are a cool weather crop, we’ll see how they hold up.  I was really  hoping to make sauerkraut this year!

Pulled quite a few cabbage worms off of them this morning.  Wasps will also eat the worms but I thought I’d lend a hand!

So far, I like the cucumbers on the bed frame…

It does require a bit more time for tying up the plants.  I’ve gotten 3 cukes out of here so far.

Remember these eggs from the last post?  Well, they finally hatched…

Thank goodness for the micro setting on my camera.  I honestly couldn’t see them.

After seeing these pics, I do believe these are Ladybug larva and they consume more aphids than an adult Ladybug.  This particular tomato plant had quite a few aphids on the leaves.

These eggs still have not hatched but they went from being clear to this greyish-brown color.  I’ll keep checking…

It’s the end of the season for this lettuce.

I pinched out the middle so they wouldn’t bolt and it’s helped them last longer.  Don’t they look like little trees?

I have to say, this is my first year for growing Kale and I love it – both the look and the taste.  It will definitely become a regular in the garden from now on.

Garden Walk – May 13, 2011

This year I tried something new with my cucumbers.  I’d seen in a book where the person had used a bed frame as a trellis.  Only it was a horizontal trellis.  This is a left-over bunk bed frame.

The idea is to get the plants to grow on top of the frame and the cucumbers, or whatever else you grow, will hang under the frame.  This will help with air circulation, mildew problems and keeping the fruit or vegetables cleaner.  And maybe I’ll see the cucumbers before they become baseball bat size!

I have lots of these on my plants…

And these…

But this is my favorite!!!

Ever grown Tomatillos?  They’re a staple in Mexican cuisine and wonderful in salsa!

The flowers remind me of Spanish dancers…

And the fruit or tomato comes wrapped in a paper sack.  They’re  wonderful to grow and by the looks of mine – we’re going to have an abundance this year 🙂

And here’s the baby tomato we’re all familiar with.

Was glad to see this on the underside of one of the tomato leaves.  Know what it is?

It’s the egg of a Lacewing – a beneficial insect for the garden.  I love how they look like little balloons on the end of a string…

And I saw these on my tomato plants too.

This one plant has more than I like to see…

But between this Lady Bug and the Lacewing, they won’t be there long!

On the same leaf as the Lacewing egg, I also saw these…

And these…

Three different types of eggs on this one leaf.  I feel like there’s a major battle about to begin.  I know that insects lay eggs where they know there will be food.  I just want to know if these two are beneficials or not.  I left them on the leaf so I can check on them to see what emerges.

Okay, I’m thinking Sci-Fi….

And the alien is born!!!!   (the flower of a wild onion)

Did I tell you that one of my Guineas is setting?  I’m so excited, although I’ve heard they’re not great mothers…

She sure is beautiful and so far, very committed!  Hmmm- shouldn’t that one egg be tucked up underneath, Momma Guinea?

These were everywhere today in one part of my flower garden.

I believe this is the American Hover Fly and they are hugely beneficial!

Adult drinks nectar. The larva preys on aphids and larvae of scale insects.

Ahh, and the jury is out on this one!  Stink bug or Soldier bug?  One is good, the other is not…

It was on my Rue plant and I found it interesting that it was yellow underneath.  Don’t remember noticing this before…

The flowers on this plant are yellow and about the same size as this insect.

And one of my favorites!!  Found this Praying Mantis on the Lambs Ear.  Must feel like a giant feather bed!

This little guy was only about a 1/2″ long…

Ever look closely at all the little tiny flowers of the Yarrow plant?  They’re beautiful….

Thanks for sharing my walk with me 🙂

Juvenile Black Widow Spider

I know there are quite a few out there who don’t like spiders….I can understand why since they’re almost always given a bad rap.  However, I am not one of those people.  I love spiders and have a huge respect for their force in the bug world.  I’ll admit, I don’t like them crawling on me, especially when I’m sleeping but I do love to watch them.

The other day, a turned over rock revealed this spider…

I used to think that this was  a male Black Widow since I knew the males were smaller.  But it’s not a male….

It’s a juvenile female.  And yes, she still has the “hour glass” on her underside.  This one was about the size of a pea – a small pea.  The coloration is beautiful!

Males are smaller, brown in color, and aren’t venomous to humans.

I’ve educated my children about Black Widows and unless the spiders are truly in the way, I’ve asked them not to kill them.

They are voracious eaters and they help to cut down the population of bad bugs in my gardens.

Here’s a link for more information on the Black Widow spider –

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/black-widow-spider.html

All Day Garden Workshop – April 2, 2011

Class fee:

Early registration – $50 per person

After March 1^st – $60 per person

**There is a class limit of 30

Please contact Cyndi@thelazybfarm.com to register for this workshop or call 770-289-2301

This workshop is designed to cover all the basics for a successful gardening season.  There will be door prizes and drawings throughout the day, adding to the assortment of tools needed for starting your own garden.  A packet of information will be available for each workshop.

Lunch will be provided by the Lazy B Farm “chefs” using items from our own gardens.

Workshop Schedule:

7:45 am: Meet and Greet

8am – 10: Square Foot Gardening

10:15 – 12:00 pm:  Herbs

12:00 – 1:00:  Lunch    Guest Speaker – Salina from Remedy (herbal shop) in Athens

1 – 2:45:  Beneficial Insects     Guest Speaker – Amanda Tedrow

3 – 5:00:  Hoop Houses

Class Description

Square Foot Gardening

We’ll gather in the classroom and cover the basics of gardening, soil preparation and the technique of Square Foot Gardening.  Together, we’ll construct a square foot garden, complete with plants.

Herbs

Herbs are such versatile plants, although most people only use them for culinary purposes.  We’ll discuss the best way to grow herbs, how to incorporate them into your landscape, and the herbs that grow well here in the Southeast.  As a class, we’ll harvest herbs from the farm and learn how to preserve them for future use.  We ill also discuss the more “unconventional” uses for herbs like teas and tinctures.

Beneficial Insects

I love bugs and have realized how beneficial bugs can be for our garden…if you know the good ones from the bad ones.  During this class, we’ll scour the garden and find “specimens” to bring back to the classroom.  We’ll identify the bugs, whether they are beneficial or not, and how to “organically” get rid of the bad ones.

Our guest speaker will be Amanda Tedrow who has just completed her Master’s degree in Entomology – bugs!

Hoop Houses

You may have heard of hoop houses but what is the difference between a hoop house and a green house?  What’s the benefit of a hoop house?  How can I use them successfully in my yard?

We will discuss this and more in this session.  Time permitting, we will construct a hoop house that will be perfect for any backyard.

What to Bring:

*Notebook and writing utensil if you’re the kind who likes to take notes.  (There  will be handouts for each workshop.)

* Boots and gardening gloves – you will be playing in the dirt.

* Extra clothes if you really like to get into your work.

* Coffee mug if you’re a coffee or tea drinker – helps us in our efforts to be good stewards of the environment

* Containers to carry home plants

* Water and snacks – there will be light breakfast items available in the morning

If you’d like to attend this workshop, please contact Cyndi@thelazybfarm.com to register or call 770-289-2301

The Wheel Bug and the Red Wasp

The other day I was out on my driveway building a gate.  I’d seen this huge Wheel Bug hanging around and was pleased to have the visitor since I now know he’s a beneficial bug.  I thought about taking some pictures but I was pretty focused on the project.  I saw him periodically throughout the day.  And then, just as I was cleaning up and the dusk was beginning to fall I saw this….

Of course I had to move in closer…

The Wheel Bug had caught the Red Wasp and was having his supper!  Can you see the “straw” inserted into the abdomen of the Red Wasp?

When it encounters a prey item–usually some adult insect or caterpillar–it typically lunges forward in its own slow way, grabs onto the prey with its front legs, and buries its hypodermic beak into some soft body part of the hapless prey.

The Wheel Bug has some of the best-developed mouthparts of any True Bug. Its formidable beak  arises at the anterior end of its long tubular head and unfolds forward.

After he was done with the abdomen, he moved his beak to the thorax…

Look at the eye of the wasp – isn’t it beautiful?

The Wheel Bug  injects enzyme-laden saliva–which immobilizes the prey within 30 seconds and turns its parts into porridge–after which the predatory bug sucks out all the victim’s bodily fluids.

This activity, of course, kills the prey item, which is why the Wheel Bug is classified in the Reduviidae–the Assassin Bug Family. It’s worth noting that Wheel Bugs aren’t all that particular about where they stick their beaks–which is fair warning that humans should use appropriate care when handling one.

Some folk have allergic reactions to the bite, while others simply say a Wheel Bug nibble hurts ten times more than a hornet sting and takes weeks or months to heal.

Do you see how the Wheel Bug holds the Red Wasp with his leg?

I watched the Wheel Bug until it was too dark to see- he’s not a very fast eater 🙂  I was thankful the Wheel Bug had been there that day – I like to think he was protecting me from that Red Wasp.

It’s amazing the amount of activity that’s happening all around us in the insect world while we carry on with our day.  I love taking the time to sneak a peek every now and then into their world.

A thank you to the site of   http://www.hiltonpond.org/thisweek030901.html  for added information on the Wheel Bug.

Redemption of Fire Ants??

I think I’ve mentioned before that I had never seen so many different kinds of bugs and insects till we moved here to the South.  And they’re not small… they’re humongous!  In almost 8 years, I’ve learned not to flinch and take cover every time a flying one whizzes by my head.  I do occasionally start slapping my shirt frantically when I think one may be crawling down my back. All these bugs have earned my respect and fascination – I figure, they were here first, why fight ’em?

One insect in particular has a very bad reputation and sadly, it has earned it….

No, not my honeybees.

We LOVE the honeybees.  It’s their neighbors that we don’t always love….

The Fire Ant.

I have to say, I don’t mind them around my hives so long as their mounds are not where I need to be standing.  They’re a great clean up crew.

As with all living creatures, they will eventually die.  And when the honeybee dies in the hive, the workers push the carcass out the front door onto the ground.

The Fire Ants come out to find the bodies and they drag them back to their mounds.

A Fire Ant mound is very distinctive and if you live in the south, you avoid them at all cost!

Fire Ants have a wicked sting and are rather ravenous.

They’ll eat dead bugs or kill ones who get in their way.

Just look at the carnage in this picture!

But they keep the place clean and don’t allow the bodies to accumulate.  I’ve even left hive frames full of wax moth larva on a Fire Ant mound and they have cleaned the frame spotless.

They’re wonderful that way, cleaning up all the debris.  Keeping the area around my hives neat and tidy.

So I let them stay.

This is a June beetle, decapitated!

Fire Ants get a bad rap in this part of the country and rightly so.  I was bitten twice trying to get these shots 🙂  But I figure that’s my fault since I was right on top of them with my camera.

I’ll make a deal with them….they leave me alone, I’ll leave them alone…so long as they keep cleaning up the bee yard!

Born to Bee…

Earlier this week, I had access to some comb from a hive that was being removed from a house.  Since I had my camera with me, the bees were fairly docile, and the comb was just lying on the deck, I took a look to see what was going on….

There are 3 stages of development of the bee – egg, larva, and pupa.  The queen deposits the egg in the bottom of the cell, in three days it hatches into a small white worm called a larva.  They are fed a mixture of pollen and honey by the bees.

When the cell is nearly filled by the growing larva, it’s closed up by the bees.  The larva then enters the chrysalis or pupa stage.

The worker develops from the egg in 21 days.

This cell was nicked during the removal – see the eye on the pupa?

This cell was nicked also – can you see the developing mite on the side of the pupa?

Finally, it’s time for the baby bee to emerge!

One antenna…

Two antennae and a head!

“Oh please!  Would someone just pick me up??”

Come on, little one…not much further.

Finally!  A brand new baby bee!   The wings are still folded in the shape of the cell and she’s so fluffy!

During the first eight days of her life she serves as nurse to the larvae.

Around the eighth day of maturity, she will take flight from the hive.

It was fascinating watching this whole process – truly amazing insects.

Spined Soldier Bug

The name alone should give you a clue about this bug.  He has joined forces with the rest of my army in the vegetable garden.  However, he’s very shy and would rather work undercover assignments than be out in the limelight.

Being the persistent, obnoxious camera person I am, I was finally able to get some pictures of our Spined Soldier Bug.

The Spined Soldier Bug likes to live in crop fields, gardens, and open woods on wild and cultivated plants, herbaceous or woody.

In other words, he’s not very picky!

I found this one on my sunflower plant.

Food:  Caterpillars, sawfly larvae, grubs of leaf beetles, and other insects, including nymphs of its own species.

Okay, we’ll forgive him this one fault of eating his own kind.

And maybe he’ll forgive me for pestering him to get these shots!