Praying Mantids

I saw an insect flying clumsily in an alfalfa field a few weeks ago and those who know me will probably guess what I did next – well I followed it until it landed and to my surprise it was a praying mantid. Not the most graceful flier :). The praying mantid gets its name … Continue reading Praying Mantids

Air Show

I saw an awesome display by some dragonflies during my lunch walk yesterday. Dragonflies have beautiful colours, delicate wings and very big eyes.  In some species the eyes meet at the top of the head and they can turn their head 360 degrees.  You have to be quite stealthy approaching them - took me a … Continue reading Air Show

Stink Bug Alley

Talk about a bad stink bug; the brown marmorated stink bug - it has made quite a name for itself and has been called the most destructive, notorious, annoying, ugly etc stink bug. The name is quite a mouthful, I have had people calling it marmalade bug and other names I am not allowed to … Continue reading Stink Bug Alley

The Beauties – Part 2

A lot of alfalfa butterflies have been flying in the North Okanagan the past few weeks. Gorgeous yellow and green colours - a sight to behold. Unfortunately, these beauties are a pest and their caterpillars can cause damage to alfalfa. I have added photos of other pollinators I have seen in the valley. Enjoy! Alfalfa … Continue reading The Beauties – Part 2

Too Hot?

The Okanagan Valley is gorgeous in the Summer. Lots of sunshine, beautiful scenery and fun times. It can sometimes get too hot :). I came across some aquatic friends last week. Dipping my toes in the water was quite nice. Unfortunately, I cannot swim - on my to do list:) Enjoy! Painted turtle taking a … Continue reading Too Hot?

We have tail pipes

Aphids have tail pipes (cornicles). They can be a serious problem on many plants and trees in the valley. They are small, pear-shaped, soft - bodied insects and come in all sorts of colours; green, black, yellow, red, etc. To identify aphids, look for the tail pipes (cornicles) on the bum end. They are usually … Continue reading We have tail pipes

Aphid Guzzlers

Aphids - Don't you love them. Nah! They are numerous and can be found on many plants. Don't despair though, there are a lot of good bugs out there that feed on aphids. I will cover lady bugs in this post. Most people love ladybugs (I may be wrong :).  What's not to like? The … Continue reading Aphid Guzzlers

Got flies?

I saw some trees covered with netting last week and that got me thinking about two serious fly pests of cherries in the valley; western cherry fruit fly and spotted wing drosophila.  These two are responsible for most of the worms in cherries if untreated (very unpleasant).   Cherry fruit fly is about the size … Continue reading Got flies?

Happy Canada Day

https://www.canada.ca The maple tree is symbolic of Canada with the leaf proudly displayed on the Canadian flag.  Other symbols of Canada include the beaver, moose (I love moose, they are such quirky animals) and Canada goose.  We have a lot of maples in the valley; so many different varieties - Red, Norway, Armstrong, Freeman’s, Snake … Continue reading Happy Canada Day