Posts Tagged ‘butterflies’
Butterfly Nectar
Q: I am looking for a recipe for butterfly nectar. I have a couple of very nice glass butterfly feeder flower stakes but have no idea how to make the nectar. A: Experienced butterfly fanciers are unconvinced that butterfly feeders...
Caterpillar – Determining Sex
Q: I found a caterpillar in the back yard. I asked my Mom if it was a boy or a girl caterpillar and she didn’t know. I asked my neighbor if was a boy or girl and he didn’t know....
Bats and Purple Martins – Don’t Control Mosquitoes
Q: Is it true that purple martins control mosquitoes? I am presently working in Bangladesh. It is the dry season here and mosquitoes are thick as molasses. I hate to think of the rainy season. This is the kind of...
Purple Martin – Don’t Control Mosquitoes
Q: Is it true that purple martins control mosquitoes? I am presently working in Bangladesh. It is the dry season here and mosquitoes are thick as molasses. I hate to think of the rainy season. This is the kind of...
Butterflies – Plants to Attract
Q: I am twelve years old. My neighbor showed me four gorgeous monarch butterfly caterpillars on his fennel plant. I have decided to be the butterfly queen for my neighborhood. What should I plant to have butterflies ? A: Planting...
Mosquito Control – Monthly Sprays
Q: What do you think about the monthly mosquito control offered by local exterminators? I am considering signing up this but wondered how well it works or if there are any safety hazards. The company I called will spray the...
Butterflies and Ladybugs – Sources
Q: Where can I get butterflies and ladybugs for a civic celebration? A: Susan Wainwright (The Bug Lady) keeps on her website a list of insectaries producing beneficial insects. See Where to Buy the Good Bugs. For butterflies you may...
Caterpillar- Books
Q: We just moved to the Atlanta. Could you tell me the name of the caterpillar book which you mentioned on the radio while discussing caterpillars that sting? I think some of my grandchildren would enjoy it since they’re always...
Giant Swallowtail Caterpillar (Orangedog) – Identification
Q: I found these creepy critters on a small citrus tree at my home. What could they be? A: They are indeed creepy but these caterpillars turn in a giant swallowtail butterfly, Papilio cresphontes. Their markings effectively deter predators…even humans,...
Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar
Q: I was delighted to discover several volunteer sassafras seedlings coming up in my yard a couple of years ago. I checked on the largest one today and noticed it was being devoured by several bright green caterpillars munching on...
Caterpillar Identification Books
Q: We just moved to the Atlanta. Could you tell me the name of the caterpillar book which you mentioned on the radio while discussing caterpillars that sting? I think some of my grandchildren would enjoy it since they’re always...
Bottlebrush Buckeye
Q: I would very much appreciate you telling me what this is. The picture includes the leaves, the nut case and the nut. I found a total of 8-10 bushes with nuts on them. I think it may be a...
Vitex – Identification and Care
Q: Can you identify the plant that has lavender blue flowers and is blooming right now beside the downtown connector just above Brookwood Station? My carpool friends and I were stuck in traffic there last week and wondered what it...
Cypress Vine
Q: Can you ID this pretty little flowering plant? A neighbor gave the seeds to me but she could not remember what the plant is called. It is a ferny looking vine with a tiny red flower. A: She gave...
Butterfly Houses – Not Helpful
Q: My daughter gave me a butterfly house that she was told had some kind of special paper in it to keep out wasps. It didn’t work. I go to the hospital real quick if a wasp stings me but...
Swallowtail Caterpillar – On Parsley
Q: I found a bunch of these happily munching on and devouring my parsley. Any idea what they are? A: They are the caterpillars of swallowtail butterflies. They are sometimes called parsley worms. The butterflies laid their eggs on your...
Butterfly – Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Q: I spotted this gorgeous butterfly in our back yard in June. Its wing span was nearly the size of my hand. Some of the black round spots on the wings were actually bulging, not flat. Is it unusual? A:...
Passion Vine – Identifying
Q: In summer where I grew up there were wild vines that bloomed similar to passion vine. They produced a globe-shaped fruit. As kids, we’d throw the ripe fruits at each other like bombs. My mother told us the fruits...
