Category: Bugs & Pests

Categories
Bugs & Pests Christine's garden Gardening Home page features

Bug parade

Lots of these on the roses!

So with the summer weather also come the summer bugs. And there seems to be no shortage of bugs and creepy-crawlies in my garden.

I had this grand idea that I would live and let live and that they would control each other. After this bug parade I’m having second thoughts. I’m not at the stage yet where I’m getting the sprayer out but I am hand picking some of them when I see them and squashing, drowning or throwing over the wall into … well you know where 🙂

The Gecko of course is most welcome … I have two at the moment. One lives in the back veggie garden (its nice and hot there) and one lives on our front patio, in the brick-work somewhere. They are cute and I love seeing them, but they are very shy and sensitive to sound (and I constantly have 2 noisy dogs in tow) so it’s not easy to photograph them in a beautiful setting. Wall shots are the best I can get – I will try to do better in Summer when they come out of hiding for a bit longer.

Here is the collection of bugs that have been parading around my garden this week …

The Good …

Gecko

and all the rest …

[one_half]Lovely markingsLovely markings[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Eating the HabanerosEating the Habaneros[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Yikes, they look awfulYikes, they look awful[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Double yuck!Double yuck![/one_half_last]

[one_half]On the MandevillaOn the Mandevilla[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Seems to have lost a legSeems to have lost a leg[/one_half_last]

[one_half]One of the good guysOne of the good guys[/one_half]

[one_half_last]And the not so good …And the not so good ...[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Lots of these on the roses!Lots of these on the roses![/one_half]

[one_half_last]Found the culprit!Found the culprit![/one_half_last]

[one_half]Lots of babies or what is this?Lots of babies?[/one_half]

[one_half_last]A whole family of themLots more where these came from![/one_half_last]

Whats eating your garden?

Happy gardening
xxx

Categories
Bugs & Pests Christine's garden Gardening Home page features

Camellia leaf woes

Camellia leaf woes

Oh dear … what can this be? I first removed a few leaves from a Camellia plant a few days ago that looked like this. Situated pretty much at the bottom of the plant I removed the branch with the affected leaves, threw it away and thought no more of it until I found a second branch yesterday with the same thing. I decided to take some photos and once I looked at them on my computer I realised that its a lot yukkier than I first realised.

UPDATE TO THIS POST – Have just found MORE leaves on the shrub towards the top part also covered in this. Looks newly infected/affected, but now I am extremely perturbed and hope someone can help me ID this.

Does anyone know what this is?

Camellia leaf woes

Look pretty yukky, right?

I’ve looked on the Internet and all I could find was one other person displaying a similar image asking the same question. What is this?

I’m thinking it might be fungal, because it seems to have some wet areas (more obvious in the below enlarged versions). The plant is located in a shaded position, looks very lush and healthy, except for these two branches,  which were located towards the bottom of the plant. There has been no leaf drop, the stem looks good … all in all the plant looks great.

[one_half]Camellia leaf woesCamellia leaf woes[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Another view of affected leafAnother view[/one_half_last]

If anyone has any knowledge or experience in dealing with this I’d be so grateful for your input.

Happy Gardening
xxx

Categories
Bugs & Pests Christine's garden Gardening Home page features

Is it a Stinker or a Lady?

Stink or Lady?

Today I found the most amazing thing … hundreds of these tiny beetle-like bugs just emerging from cocoons and waking up on one of the Nandina domestica shrubs. I was ambling around the garden late this afternoon after a hard days garden “clean up” and looking for blooms to capture for Bloom Day coming up next week, when my eye spotted these baby beetles through the camera.

Although they are visible to the naked eye (they are about 2mm round at the time I saw them), I only spotted them as I was focussing in on the white blossoms on the Nandina as the beetles are still very tiny. I watched one emerge from its cocoon and I took hundreds of photos of it – regrettably not one of them is publishable, so I didn’t manage to get it on film.

I’ve been to Bugguide.net and Whatsthatbug.com and I can’t make out what these are, but I am guessing they are either stink bug nymphs or lady beetles (hopeful!). I googled Stink Bug cocoon and stink bug chrysalis and it seems like Stink Bugs come from eggs, very green eggs. So I’m really not sure what these are. You can click on the photos to see the large versions.

[one_half]Stink or Lady?[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Stink or Lady?[/one_half_last]

Can anyone help me identify these cute beetles?

In other news … I found this visitor on the Lynchnis today. This is a stink bug I think. Pretty sure actually. I get lots of these.

[one_half]Bug on the LynchnisBug on the Lynchnis[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Pretty sure its a Stink bugBug on the Lynchnis[/one_half_last]

Happy Gardening
xxx

 

Categories
Barbie's garden Bugs & Pests Gardening Home page features Miscellaneous

Bug-eyed

Its been a while since I have had a chance to write and blog about my garden. Work has been taking up all of my time and before the sun sets, I dash out and take some photos or just play with the chickens in the garden (they always need supervision nowadays – no free run of the place!) This is the time I can really look closely at whats happening in my garden. I can really see the difference and September brought some strange growths – remember the fungus? – and the bugs have started to come out in full force. It is midge season – argh!!! They are small gnat-like flies that bite like the dickens! They come out as the sun is setting and jump all over you. Once they crawl under your sleeve they are more than likely looking for a bite! The chickens’ feather are full of them…I have to give the girls a real rub down to dislodge these critters…. they are worse than mosquitos!

But lets rather look at the interesting bugs in my garden, shall we?…….

[one_half]Shiny armour – not sure if friend or foe[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Looks like he is made of gold![/one_half_last]



[one_third][/one_third]

[one_third][/one_third]

[one_third_last][/one_third_last]

Not a fly nor is it a bee ….any guesses?? A fly in bee’s clothing?? A bee in fly’s clothing ??

 

[one_half]Here’s the real bee! Not an imposter![/one_half]

[one_half_last]The bees love the blue flowers![/one_half_last]

 

[one_half]Butterflies everywhere![/one_half]

[one_half_last]Enjoying the sun’s rays![/one_half_last]

Whats bugging you in your garden?

xxxx

 

Categories
Bugs & Pests Christine's garden Gardening Home page features

Hope Grows Day July 2011

Hope Grows Day July 2011

My second time taking part in “Hope Grows Day“, a monthly Gardening Blog meme hosted by Hanni of Sweet Bean Gardening. I am showcasing what I am hoping to see in my garden over the next month.

Lovely growth, Check!

So how successful was I in June?

  • I hoped for good rains without too much storm damage. We had good rains. It was lovely. I have not had to water my garden at all in the past 4 weeks. Not once. This week we are experiencing sunny weather, I might need to water tomorrow or Friday as there is no rain forecast and things are getting a bit dry. I had no serious storm damage. So first ” Hope”  for June gets a big Tick! Yay!
  • I hoped my newly planted bulbs would continue to grow – check.
  • I hoped the “Sinfonietta” Irises would continue to grow well – check.
  • I hoped we’d be eating cherry tomatoes – we ate 6! Not quite what I was hoping, but check all the same.
  • I hoped we’d be eating carrots from the veggie garden – not yet. No check.
  • And lastly, I hoped I would have something to show on Garden Bloggers Bloom Day on the 15th June, and I did. Quite a lot actually – check.

Not bad. More checks than not.

War against the Moles!

So what am I hoping for in July?

  • I have a new “mole / vole / mole rat” problem. All the beds that do not have the solar mole repellents are being decimated by something that seems like a mole. Tomorrow we go to war. Dexter and I against the moles! We are prepared. We have ammunition – two more sonic mole repellers and organic mole repellent potions I bought today. So top of the list for July is “Get rid of the damn moles!!”
  • Of course I continue to hope that my bulbs and plants grow well throughout these winter months
  • I hope to get the back garden planted up with new plants on the side that was damaged during recent plumbing improvements
  • And finally, I’m hoping to get all my little “projects”  completed, once and for all!

What are You hoping for in July? Join us all over on Hanni’s blog and share what you are hoping for – Hope Grows July 2011.

Happy Gardening
xxx

Categories
Barbie's garden Bugs & Pests Gardening Home page features

Rhinoceros beetle in the manure

While working with the manure in my rasied bed, I found this!!

[one_half]Oryctes rhinoceros[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Rhinoceros beetle seems fitting![/one_half_last]

I quickly had to do my reseach to identify this solid beetle. Aha!

Oryctes rhinoceros, Rhinoceros beetle is a serious insect of coconut palm. It is also known as Asiatic rhinoceros beetle, black beetle, coconut black beetle, coconut palm rhinoceros beetle, coconut rhinoceros beetle (English), date palm beetle, or dung beetle.

Known to be native to the southern Asiatic region, the coconut rhinoceros beetle was introduced throughout the Pacific primarily as a result of the increased sea traffic during World War II (Nishida & Evenhuis, 2000). The beetle breeds in dead standing coconut palms killed by pest /disease/ lightning, decaying organic materials like compost and sawdust heaps.Transportation of this material could be a pathway of introduction to new areas.

The coconut rhinoceros beetle is one of the most damaging insects to coconut palms and African oil palm in southern and south-east Asia and the Western Pacific islands. The imagos are the destructive stage, they bore into the crown of the palm resulting in wedge shaped or “V” cuts in the fronds that unfurl. The beetle feeds on tissue juices.

Hmmm… not so cute!

Categories
Barbie's garden Bugs & Pests Gardening Home page features Miscellaneous Perenniels

Autumn showers

Wet rose

I took myself into the garden this morning to bring cheer and colour into the day. It is gloomy when it rains and I guess my spirit tends to drop on cloudy days – so I’m definitely not  a winter person. But, I somehow love the rain and how the garden looks when its wet and drippy! Even the little bugs in the garden are somehow enjoying the autumn showers. I wanted to share my wet garden with you!

[one_half]Sprinkled rosesWet rose[/one_half]

[one_half_last]A thirsty flyFly on the rose[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Droopy wormwoodWet wormwood[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Aphids finding shelterAphids on roses[/one_half_last]

 

Enjoy your wet wonderland!

 

Categories
Bugs & Pests Christine's garden Gardening Miscellaneous

Very Scarey Spider – ID help

Scarey Spider

Not quite gardening but he must have come inside from the garden. I woke up this morning to see this very large spider above my head on the ceiling! I’m generally not scared of spiders. They leave me alone and I stay away from them so I have a fairly healthy relationship with them. But this is just a bit too much for me … and frankly, I’m terrified of this guy (or gal?). The spider is about 15 cm in length and has been sitting in the same spot since I woke up this morning. Unfortunately my camera and macro lens “went away for the weekend”, so this is the best shot I can get until my camera comes home this afternoon, hopefully with some muscle to help me get rid of this spider. Well … not rid of it but moved to a more acceptable (to me) location!

Does anyone have any idea what kind of spider this is? I’ve spent the better part of two hours trying to ID it via info on the internet. The best I can come up with is that it is a common house spider, baboon spider or huntsman spider, all of which are apparantly not dangerous to humans.

We had quite a storm here last night. The garden is a mess this morning with branches and debris everywhere, so I’m guessing she was somehow forced inside by the wind or dislodged from her web. To me the spider looks black, but from the photographs it appears to be a dark brown, not black at all. You can click on the photos to see the enlargement.

[one_half]Scarey spiderScarey Spider[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Another viewHuge spider[/one_half_last]

Categories
Bugs & Pests Christine's garden Gardening Home page features Products

A Solar Mole Repeller – Did they see me coming?

Mole repeller in situ

I have a problem with Moles! They burrow up my garden in search of earthworms and grubs (the former of which I have plenty, the latter, hopefully a few less). I’m fed up with their relentless pursuit of my earthworms and the never ending mounds of soil they kick up in search of them. I’ve tried organic control with some pungent smelling garlic liquid formulation you are supposed to pour down the holes – problem is I can never find the holes and when I do … well, it didn’t work! They keep coming and keep messing up my garden.

I have big plans to plant spring flowering bulbs in my garden – this weekend being the big “Bulb Planting Weekend”. I believe moles eat the bulbs. As I have no intention of allowing the moles to eat all my precious bulbs it was time to get serious about mole-prevention. Yes I’ve bought bulb planting trays to protect the bulbs and yes, I will continue to use the organic garlic mole repellent liquid as and when I see their “holes”, but what else can I do to stop them entering my garden? After all, I’m sure my neighbours have quite enough earthworms and grubs for them so … go to # 15 Moles!! They serve better grubs than we do here at #13!

Enter the Solar Mole Repeller (made in China!). Right – I’m not convinced this is going to work but I’m so fed up with the moles that I’m willing to try anything at this stage, so I purchased two of these devices and they’ve just been “planted” in the garden! The first one went in, no sound or vibrations but when I put the second one into it’s designated spot it started making a strange vibrating sort of sound – irritating enough for Dexter to bark at it! Had to calm him down and convince him we need this thing in the garden – lets hope he doesn’t dig it up!

[one_half]The Mole heapsThe Mole heaps[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Mole Repeller openedMole Repeller opened[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Connect the wiresConnect the wires[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Mole repeller in situMole repeller in situ[/one_half_last]

I really hope this works!

Happy gardening
xxx

PS: The blurb on the box says (spelling and grammar unaltered!): A kind of solar energy device making use of ultrasonic to expel moles. To expel rodents (applicable to such animals as moles and shrews), operated on solar energy. Transmitting ultrasonic via vibration, Garden Solar Pest Repeller is used to affect the acute hearing of underground rodents, with very effective preventive effect. The ultrasonic will deceive them, making them feel endangered, so as to force them away from the vibrating area. Transmitting ultrasonic every 30 seconds, Garden Solar Pest Repeller has an effective range of 650 square meters. Garden Solar Pest Repeller radiates in all directions. During radiation, there shall be no any obstruction to tamper with the ultrasonic. To achieve the best performance, we strongly recommend that 2 devices be installed every 30 meters for those areas frequented by rodents. Garden Solar Pest Repeller works on a solar cell, while the other rechargeable cell is charged for nocturnal use. When a cell is fully charged, it can supply power when light is unable to drive Garden Solar Pest Repeller, so as to ensure continuous 48-hour operation.

PPSS: “Did they see me coming?” in my post title refers to the people who sell these things. I’m not convinced these will work, sounds to good to be true but time will tell!

Categories
Barbie's garden Bugs & Pests Gardening Home page features Miscellaneous

Snake in the compost heap!

Slug Eater

Slug EaterI was working in the garden again (hehee!) and decided  to turn over the compost heap! This always a surprise to see how beautiful all the kitchen scraps and the garden cutting turn to this dark, rich compost! I also find that it is never smelly nor any flies! I have found the strangest creatures in it at times – a frog – a mouse nest – now, I found a slug eater. It rolled out like a tied up knot (I nearly missed it – it was very small). This seems to be a typical postition. My hubby is really good at identifying snakes and he immediately knew it was a slug eater – in afrikaans it is called a tabakrolletjie (a Tobacco Roll).  A harmless and useful snake in the garden.

Slug Eater – Duberria lutrix – harmless/non-poisonous

Names in other languages:- Afrikaans: Slakvreter, tabakrolletjie

Average Length: 25 cm

Habits:- A small, slow moving, docile little snake. When caught, an unpleasant smelling secretion may be expelled from glands at the base of the tail. Useful in that it keeps down the snail population. It seldom attempts to bite but chooses to roll up tight into a spiral with head concealed, hence the Afrikaans name meaning “Tobacco Roll”.

Food:- Slugs and snails.

Reproduction: Viviparous. Produce 6-22 young, born in late summer

Enemies: Predatory birds and other snakes.

Habitat: Grasslands, moist savanna, lowland forest and fynbos. In my case, the compost heap!