FYI – The marmots ate the peaches 😲

You can spot marmots in the Okanagan valley.  They live in burrows and feed on green plants. They are cute looking things but they can cause damage to vegetable gardens.  We visited a peach orchard a few weeks ago and saw extensive damage to the fruit.  My co-workers and I debated who could have caused … Continue reading FYI – The marmots ate the peaches 😲

“Beetle Fest”

We have seen some gorgeous beetles feeding on pollen the past few weeks - adult checkered beetles, dimorphic flower beetles, click beetles and lady bug beetle larvae. Dimorphic flower beetles are cool - males and females have different colours. Click beetles make a clicking sound when you grab or flip them upside down. Don't go … Continue reading “Beetle Fest”

The Beauties

Butterflies – imagine beautiful sunny days, meadows, flowers, colours; snap - don’t fall asleep :). There are lots of butterflies flying around the valley; such gorgeous array of colours - purple, orange, yellow, white, you name it.  They are difficult to take pictures of though. We saw some colourful ones flittering around during our hike … Continue reading The Beauties

Bees bees bees and “flying pandas”

The bees are busily working away and we have seen quite a lot.  It is always nice to see them since they are invaluable. Without them we will have quite the restricted diet and will not able to enjoy some of the delicious fruits, berries and vegetables that abound in the valley. Don’t forget honey. … Continue reading Bees bees bees and “flying pandas”

Who has been eating the roses?

Roses are blooming all over the valley and what a display of colours. They smell nice too, particularly the wild roses. I saw a lot of damage to some roses on my walk this afternoon and upon closer inspection found a bunch of rose curculios having a feast and some mating pairs. They had done … Continue reading Who has been eating the roses?

Scarlett Malachite Beetle

I was pleasantly surprised when we came across scarlet malachite beetles in Armstrong.  It brightened my day a bit after our encounter with the armyworm caterpillars. These beetles are not very common.  They are good beetles; the adults feed on pollen and the young on other bugs. We saw more of these beetles in Enderby. … Continue reading Scarlett Malachite Beetle

Wildflowers, Bugs and Spiders

I went on a hike with two lovely girlfriends this weekend and we had a blast with the exception of being almost eaten alive by mosquitoes; what a nightmare - the horrid things. I have never seen so many mosquitoes in my life.  I digress; the mosquitoes could still not take the joy out of … Continue reading Wildflowers, Bugs and Spiders

Armyworms

Western yellowstriped armyworm Large outbreaks of Western yellowstriped armyworm were reported in Enderby, Armstrong and Spallumcheen in 2018. The caterpillars caused a lot of damage to alfalfa, corn, gardens and other crops.  Unfortunately, the caterpillars are back again this year. Western yellowstriped armyworm caterpillars are black with pale yellow stripes on the body. The front … Continue reading Armyworms