According to the website http://metroparent.com there are some rather easy actions that we can take to preserve pollinators in our gardens. Stop buying plants pretreated with neonicotinoids. Treated pants are primarily sold at big box stores. These insecticides are sprayed onto seeds and are effective for up to 10 weeks. They were seen as less … Read more
Great Black Wasp (Sphex pensylvanicus) The iridescent Great Black Wasp is a beneficial insect in spite of its scary appearance being 1-1.5” long. They are nectar and pollen eaters. They gather prey (Katydids, Grasshoppers and Crickets) to feed their immature offspring located in underground nests. Since Great Black Wasps do not have a colony to defend they … Read more
Mason Bee The tiny mason bee is environmentally healthy, simple and fun. Mason bees are extraordinary pollinators. These bees are very efficient, 200-300 females can pollinate an entire acre. They are native to most of North America. There are approximately 150 types of mason bees. According to Judy Beaudette writing on the website, ecolandscaping.org, “They are tunnel-nesting, … Read more
Braconid Wasp Tomato hornworm covered with white cocoons of Braconid Wasp Photo Taken by Amy Nelson at Crispe House, Plainwell, MI. While gardening at Crispe House this week we came across a Tomato Hornworm in the vegetable garden near the back of the house next to the drive way. I found the Tomato Hornworm pictured to … Read more