A few woodchucks are still trying to pack on pounds at our feeders. The fatter the woodchuck, the less time it spends in hibernation. That nearly dead state, although good for energy use reduction, has…continue reading
Fall is here. Time for your house to fill up with winter boarders: box elder bugs, ladybugs…and stink bugs. Those pesky brown bugs with a triangular-shaped back are called brown marmorated stink bugs. They are…continue reading
One might think that the season for cute baby animals is over. However, this past week we had encounters with a number of very young reptiles. In an amazing feat of acrobatics, a young snapping…continue reading
An interesting visitor seemed intent upon entering the Butterfly House by hitching a ride on the door. Actually this Northern walking stick insect was likely enjoying the warm sunshine. This native walking stick looks a…continue reading
They don’t have the body parts or strength to cause physical harm, yet some male butterflies seem determined to maintain a breeding territory. The Florida malachite butterflies in our Butterfly House are good examples. A…continue reading
What is a butterfly’s favorite flower? Is a common question in our butterfly house. The answer, as always in nature, is…It depends. In general, butterflies seem to prefer flowers that produce nectars that have relatively…continue reading
Why do caterpillars of silk moths produce their famous threads? Silk is produced and used by caterpillars of moths and butterflies as a safety device and to form their pupal homes. Most caterpillars consume their…continue reading
The earsplitting screams indicated that something other than the geocache had been found. Granted, the sight of a two-inch long female dobsonfly can provoke the same reaction from most folks. Had our visitor been a…continue reading
Butterfly House visitors are a bit intimidated by the large wasps buzzing about until we assure them that they are male cicada killer wasps. Males don’t lay eggs, so they don’t have ovipositors. No ovipositor…continue reading
What looked like tiny pieces of a black and white shag rug covered the Butterfly House door. The caterpillars of a milkweed tussock moth had just finished another molt and were in search of more…continue reading
