Welcome to the last Friday of Hell month, aka arrival of summer-often referred to as the month of June. And boy did she arrive with a major league chip on her shoulder. Hey, what did I do to deserve this hellscape? Wilson here and I just don’t understand. I’m a good boy (most of the time) and I haven’t turned my Mum into a kite for ages. Yet for some reason apparently Mother Nature is quite P.O’d and she’s taking it out on us floofs. Well guess there’s no easy answer as to her motives, so I guess we’ll just joint our mates from Adventures of the LLB Gang and share some of the nature we found this week. Make sure you click on their link to see what others have shared.
This week we’re going to feature some garden insects from around the garden so if bugs creep you out, you may want to rejoin us on Monday.
The Mum: Hello House Pony, so you’re hankering to share some bugs today, eh?
Wilson: Sure, Mum. I’ve got some real doozies and beauties. Let’s start with the pretty ones first. The Swallowtail butterflies have been visiting our garden. They kind of meander and flit from one flower to the next. I sure enjoy keeping an eye on them.
The Mum: You were a very good boy around the butterflies…now if only you wouldn’t try to eat the bees and wasps who have been noshing on the lavender that’s in bloom.
Wilson: In my defense, that bee started it. Can I help it that he just happened to fly into my jaws of death mouth yesterday?
The Mom: You were lucky not have been stung.
Wilson: I was too fast for him. But boy, he sure tasted funky. Did you notice how quickly I shook him out of my mouth?
The Mum: And then ate him? Yes, I sure did. You were very fortunate. A sting in a dog’s mouth can be very painful-your whole jaw could have swelled up.
Wilson: Mum you worry too much. I got this. It seems my saliva doesn’t just make for amazing mousse on your head…it apparently drowned that buzzing guy.
The Mum: {eyes rolling} All I’m saying is, some day you’re not going to be as lucky. Best to avoid the buzzing bugs. Especially if they look anything like this prehistoric monster. It looked like something from Jurassic Park.
Wilson: {shivers} You’re so right, Mum. That thing totally creeped me out. I discovered it was likely some sort of parasitic wasp. That extremely long ovipositor is what she uses to deposit her eggs in or on either a host body or piece of rotted wood. Despite looking doggone terrifying, that ovipositor does not deliver a sting like typical wasps. Why didn’t you step on it? Now I’m constantly going to be looking out for the bloody thing until I get distracted by a squirrel or other critter, that is. We’ve had a lot of bunnies visiting lately but they don’t bother me like the tree rats do.
The Mum: Sadly I was so blown away by it by, that I didn’t think about stepping on it and It flew away after posing for a photo.
Wilson: I hope it flew to another city and stays away from our neighborhood! Ick…I just can’t un-see that monster. But I was rather keen on checking out the ladybugs that are appearing on the lupines. They’re so Disney-nice looking and don’t look prehistoric like that parasitic wasp. Notice how it was perfectly centered in the leaf cluster as if she was trying to imitate stamin.
The Mum: Don’t be fooled. Ladybugs (as they are called in North America and ladybirds In the UK) are actually beetles who are quite carnivorous predators. They are characterized by domed backs with flat undersides and conspicuous aposematic (warning) colours and patterns, e.g red with black spots, which are used to warn potential predators that they taste toxic. They can gorge themselves on aphids and scale insects and are often used as a natural deterrent to agricultural pests. In other words, they’re like biological control agents.
Wilson: Gosh, I had no idea they were so ferocious. Well I’m just grateful you have some help controlling those aphids. There are more than enough them to give those ladybugs a right proper belly ache for over-indulging.
The Mum: Speaking of predators, how about this Wheel Bug. I found this guy hanging out on some mulch. He was so striking so you can imagine my surprise to discover he was a type of ‘assassin bug’ when I looked him up. You just never can tell what kind of critters are lurking about the garden. Another predatory bug, these use their beak-like mouthparts to pierce their prey, then inject a powerful mix of enzymes which is lethal and begin to digest their prey much like spiders do. It’s a good thing I didn’t try to pick him up since they have a nasty bite that can hurt like the dickens for a few days.
Wilson: Crikey…I’m going to have nightmares tonight thinking about all these predator bugs. We better find some pretty flowers or I’ll be a basket case.
The Mum: You worry too much, House Pony. We’ll just have to look for more flowers so we don’t disrupt your beauty sleep or give you PTSD about predator bugs. Let’s wrap this up with something that is lovely to look at and is currently in bloom. Yum…I just love English lavender and this Lavandula Angustifolia-Hidcote variety is definitely swoon worthy. Does that make you feel better, sweet boy?
Wilson: Ahhh…I could sniff that stuff all day. It’s totally divine and ultra relaxing. Thanks, Mum. ‘Course I don’t really need anything to help me relax as I’m pretty good freelancing.
The Mum: {smiling} Presuming nature hasn’t deep fried you to a crisp, we hope you are able to check out all the beautiful and remarkable sights Nature provides. We’ll be checking out the Denver Dog Fair this weekend and hope your weekend is beyond excellent.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Mee-yow wee not like THE stingy Bee innsect or THE Wheel Bubby eether!! Wee due love Butterfliess an Ladybugsss….they are lovelee. A few dayss ago wee saw a Monarch Butterfly; a Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly an 2 Cabbage Butterfliess! They were so happy to sit on our flowerss an enjoy THE Shade!
Mew mew mew Wilson you look FURRY reelaxed!!! Pwsum!!!
~~~head rubss~~~BellaDharma~~~ an {{hugss}} BellaSita Mum
Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that certain pollinators can be a bit terrifying. It’s always relaxing to watch butterflies floating from one flower to another, especially when it’s a Swallowtail. They just blow me away!
Xactly about reememburrin that sum Polly-natorss are a bit scarey. Butterfliess are allwayss lovelee to bee around 😉
And while they’re working hard, they provide us humans with relaxing moments watching them. Win-win!
A toetall Win-Win Miss Monika an Wilson!
You’re not the only one gonna have nightmares, now, Wilson. *shiver* *cringe*
Sorry if we traumatized you. Bugs can do a lot of good but some are just downright scary.
Ah yes….. sniffing all day… nothing better.
It’s nirvana for us dogs.
Your fur-iend,
Wilson 🐾
Aww we love bees, butterflies and other pollinators Wilson, please don’t eat them as we need them for a healthy planet! Wishing you and your mum a blessed rest of the weekend and hope you can stay cool in this weather too 🥰🐾🩷🐾 xxx
Thank you, Xenia…yes, we definitely need to save pollinators. Looks like I need to intensify Wilson’s ecology training. 😉 Have a wonderful rest of the weekend.
Charlee: “Bugs and butterflies! Those are some of our favorite things to look at!”
Lulu: “Are you in need of a belly rub, Wilson? Our Dada would be happy to oblige!”
Wilson never, ever turns down belly rubs. Glad you liked the bugs and butterflies. They are fascinating to watch, even if they taste terrible. Have a great weekend.
Sorry, can’t stay too long … I, June, was very tempted to paw at Wilson’s tummy polka dots (you do know I have a thing for those …), but mine Mommy doesn’t like bugs too much, so … we’re outta here.
Aww, dear June…you can check out my polka dots anytime. My Mum doesn’t like bugs too much either but some of them are fascinating…especially if they don’t get too close. 😉 Hope you both have a great weekend.
Your fur-iend,
Wilson 🐾
Ahh! Lavender! We went to a Lavender farm last weekend. Was fun.
Oh Wilson! Keep your mouth shut when it comes to bees! Very glad you are OK. 🙂
Happy weekend! 🩷🩷
It’s intoxicating to walk through lavender fields. Glad you got to experience one. Have a great weekend!
It is. We got some lavendar soap too amd we were able to pick some. 😊
Thanks! It has been a good one so far. Was with my sisters and mom for the day. 🥰
I hope your weekend is going well too and no more bees for Wilson! 😉
No bees-it’s too hot to be outside. Oooh, lavender soap is divine and can feel so luxurious on your skin. I use lavender oil whenever I get bitten by a mosquito to take the itch out.
“No beers'” ? 😂 Poor Wilson! 😂.
Ahh! Didn’t know lavendar oil worked for bites!
Ugh. I fixed that once! Grrr.
It’s incredible when it comes to skin issues.
Fascinating. You know that all butterflies are visiting angels
Thanks. I seem to recall that about butterflies and think when they visit the garden it’s a sigh one of my fur angels is watching over me. It’s a lovely sentiment. Wishing you a wagnificent weekend!
Love that butterfly with the purple flowers, great photo. That bug in the mulch is quite interesting looking but it is still a bug and we would not want one at our house. Have a good weekend!
Swallow tails are so photogenic because of their distinct coloring which compliments lavender and blue flowers ever so nicely. As for that wheel bug, I only noticed it because of the color on it’s back. I’d never seen one before. Sounds like they can be quite nasty.We’re going to do our best to avoid bites from the likes of those creatures! Hope you guys have a pawsome weekend!
Wren seems inclined to snap at bees, too. Please stop already! Bees are good bugs. 😀
Curiously, following photographers who post insect close ups has made me used to their look and I now find them ancient life forms, fascinating in their elaborate armor.
It’s no wonder they are so widespread and numerous across the world. So many do amazing things and their adaptations are quite remarkable in a dangerous world. Some of them though are just downright strange, odd and creepy. Wilson is taking to snarfing up rolly pollies lately. I swear, if I didn’t know better, I’d think the dog had a tape worm…he’s ALWAYS hungry and never misses a beat to nosh on a leaf, crumb or bug! Have a great weekend!
Those are some interesting critters Wilson but listen to your Mom and don’t be eating any of those things, ever!
Thanks, Terry. You’d think the dog was starving all the time for the way he snarfs up stuff on floors and sidewalks. Hope you and all the kitties have a great weekend!
Nice photos, except the icky bug. XO
Thanks much, Ellen. Yeah, that parasitic wasp totally creeps me out! Hope you and the kitties have a swell weekend.
The heat has been rough on Chester but we try to get out daily with lots of cold water and shade! Those bugs are interesting… we have had an influx of mosquitoes and fireflies. The fireflies are magical.
It was 94 and miserable, though our humidity is decently low-thank heavens. Whenever it’s rainy, mosquitos will always be excessive. I’s HATE mosquitos-nasty little annoying buggers! Plus I’m always cioncerned abolut West Nile virus-we invariably get a few cases every year. I’ve never seen a firefly but would love it-I’ve heard they really are something special. Please give sweet Chester a nice ear rub from us-I hope you’ll have cooler weather soon. Have a great weekend.
Our cat does that. She was chasing a wasp the other day and was very upset when we stopped her from catching it. It wasn’t as fugly as that one but still, a wasp!
Bugs in general . . . oh me goodness no I can’t. I don’t get freaked out when I see them but let’s just say, I’d rather not see them.
Have a great time at the fair.
I dread the day when he gets stung. It’s not pleasant. I know what you mean about bugs. They really are creepy (unless you like watching butterflies float over a lazy summer day but the catapiller stage…ugh-gross! Happy weekend.
Butterflies and ladybugs are fine with me but most of the rest of them, eesh.
You as well mama
That wasp had best not show top around here…yikes! We have an assortment of bugs here, too…some a lot more welcoming e than others. We have bugs that look like ladybugs, but they are not…and they even might bite a human! Ouch! And we have those infamous Japanese Beetles, They chow down and ruin so many of our plants. And then we have….nah, I am getting all bugged out! We see a lot of pretty butterflies, they make me smile!
It was/is VERY hot and humid around these parts, too…heat advisories for days on end.nToday we have torrential rainfall with thunderstorms. We need the rain, but could do without all the noise. Hope nothing falls in our wooded area…not a chance of any cleanup happening there today…let alone mowing the grass which will be knee high before I can get to it, next week.(Have to work the next two days…)
Ugh…Japanese beetles…they are horrid. So far this year I haven’t seen as many as we’ve had the past 3-4 years. They are killing machines! Stay cool if possible and have a great weekend- and don’t work too hard.
I would love to have some English Lavender growing in our back yard! I love the scent and its color! I love ladybugs too.
Wilson, you need to listen to your Mum when she tells you to leave the bees & wasps alone! Ducky ended up with a sting on the inside of her upper lip one Saturday afternoon. It was so painful that she was really anxious about it. I didn’t know the bee had flown into her mouth, so I put her in the car and took her to the ER vet. By the time we got down there, the lip had swollen. Thankfully, they weren’t busy that day and took her right in. They examined her lip and removed the stinger, and then gave her a shot of Benadryl and watched her for about half an hour (for adverse reactions). The Benadryl did help her though, and the swelling went down quickly. Of course, being Ducky, she still had to check out their hive entrances a few times – and get stung a few more times – before she decided the pain wasn’t worth satisfying her curiosity any more.
We love lavender too…it’s so relaxing and I love cutting the blooms and drying them out in a vase. Yes, the swelling a bee can do to a dog’s mouth can be quite severe. I’m watching him much closer since he just can’t seem to exercise self-control. Hope you guys have a good weekend and the temps aren’t too high.
We have a bug issue around here too – lantern fly – NOT A GOOD THING but they’re everywhere. I’d never even heard of them before this year!! Wilson you look like you’re pretty comfy in that final photo – – – in fact you look WAY more comfy than anyone/thing else I know!!!!!!
Hugs, Pam and Teddy
Oh dear, doesn’t sound good. Hopefully they’ll clear out soon.
That dog absolutely knows how to relax! Wishing you a great weekend.
Great critter pics! The big excitement here is watching a tiny baby praying mantis grow up on my Marine Heliotrope plants.
Thanks so much, Lisa. Praying mantises are totally mesmerizing! Hope you have a great weekend.
Oh, we loved this postie with all the creatures around you, Wilson. That Butterfly is so beautiful and we also love LadyBugs. We have a garden full of them now. It’s amazing to see them grow from egg to the final beauty as they are🐞Double Pawkisses for a Happy Weekend to you and your mommy too…Oh and enjoy the lavender dreaming, they’re the best🐾😽💞
So glad you enjoyed the crawly, flying things. We wish there were more Ladybugs since the aphids are pretty bad this year. They must be tired of eating the same breakfast day after day. 🤣
I enjoyed the bug tour, Monika and Wilson. I have to agree that wasp looked creepy. I had to hold my breath when I heard that Wilson snaps at bees. I sure hope he doesn’t get stung, cause that hurts. I agree on the lavender. It is devine. Our sage is blooming, so it might mean rain for us. Have a great weekend you two.
Many thanks, John…glad you enjoyed the bug tour, even the creepy ones. 😉 I enjoy the lavender the whole summer and will pinch the leaves after they’ve finished blooming, the smell is just too intoxicating not to enjoy. Have a super weekend and try to stay cool.
You got some awesome bug shots! That swallowtail on the penstemon is gorgeous!
Good catch on the parasitic wasp — they often keep other bugs in check, but they always remind me that in the garden, no one can hear you scream…
And the ladybugs are just a wee bit too late to save my perennial lupines. The aphids clobbered them. I’m going to have to be more proactive next year.
But well done, Monika!
Thanks, Amy. The aphids always attack my lupines but the seeds seem to laugh in the face of bugs. Stay cool this weekend.
‘deep fried you to a crisp”
It’s so hot, I tell people how hot it is here in the fun sun with no shade for walks, and they don’t get it. I describe our house like a tandoori oven and they don’t get it. NOW the east coast is also hot and they are starting to get it (minus the high altitude, thin atmosphere, and sun) (but with a bit more humidity!)
those bugs, gross, Wilson for Pete’s sake stay away!
People don’t understand heat at altitude. We’re so much closer to the sun and on a clear day, it’s just brutal. But at least ours is a dry heat. I couldn’t handle east coast heat and humidity. No how, no way!
What a lesson in bugs! I enjoyed that, especially from the Pup’s perspective.
Thanks, Jacqui. There so much life moving around below flowers that we don’t often see or acknowledge and yet their presence makes such a differenc e in the garden. Have a swell remainder to the weekend.
We love your bugs today, Wilson…especially the lady bug! The Denver Dog Fair sounds fun, we sure hope it cools off a little so you can enjoy it!
xoxo,
Rosy & Sunny
Thanks, guys, glad you liked the info about the bugs. Unfortunately our temps are back in the 90’s for the next few days. The Dog Fair is a great event (we’re participating for the rescue) and luckily its inside. Whew! Have a wagnificent weekend.
Our weather is similar to Derrycats so today is the first moderate to cool day in a week before the return of summer tomorrow. Interesting bugs. Earwigs have been invading here. Not sure why, maybe too much rain. We haven’t seen this many in the 4+ years we’ve been here. I can send a box of them to Wilson!
Umm, thanks, but no thanks. Earwigs are in that crerepy category as far as we’re concerned. Enjoy the nice temps…we’re heading in the opposite direction with low to mid 90’s for the next few days. Ugh. Have a great weekend.
yes bring on the flowers, before we get bed bugs ;O) we thought with the end of june the heatwave is over soon… but we were wrong.. it starts… yiiikes
Flowers are always welcome…some bugs, not so much. Hope you guys have a great weekend. We’ll be right there with you in the heat as well. Ugh.
We woke up to a 66 degree morning today, so welcome after temps in the high 90s all week. Back to high 80’s again tomorrow, but I’m going to enjoy this cool day and get the dogs out for a long walk.
Yes, enjoy a cool day even if tomorrow is warmer. We’re expecting the 90’s for the next few days. Ugh. Wishing you a terrific weekend.
Wilson, first I want to say how absolutely inviting you look lying there relaxing. Even though my Mom loves the cats she has and had, she always had dogs and loves them too.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the insects, seeing their pictures and learning about their ways of life! Thanks Wilson.
Wilson has mastered the art of relaxation…I need to take lessons from him. 😉 Glad you enjoyed the insect info. While they are inevitable in a garden, some are pretty cool while others are not as welcome. Have a terrific weekend.
That bug with the long stinger is a visitor one could live without!
Most definitely. Gives me the heebie jeebies just thinking about him! Have a great weekend, Helen.