A new season of growth begins...

[rose_cat]

(and I'm staying away from the bathroom scale)

A couple of days ago, I noticed a tiny swallowtail caterpillar on one of the newly-leafed-out wild fennel plants. Today the plant was all adroop. The stem had broken off somehow. I couldn't find the caterpillar :( but I did find a swallowtail egg :D I've never seen an actual egg! I tucked the dying plant in amongst the foliage of the others, so the hatching caterpillar will be able to find a good feeding ground.

The milkweed plants are well-leafed too, which is good, because I counted eight monarch caterpillars in the big pot, ranging from .5 to 1.5 cm (1/5 to 3/5 of an inch) in length, vigorously chomping away. No paper wasps in sight yet. Fingers crossed, fingers crossed...

Comments

[rose-cat.livejournal.com]

Pyrethrin. Yes, it's made from pyrethrum daisies. It kills all insects, though, including bees, so if you can get it on the wasps without getting it on flowers (if that's possible) that would be good.

I also hear if you paint your eaves the color if sky blue they won't nest thinking it is the sky.

I laughed at that, but then I googled. Huh, maybe it does work. Although, if they're looking for someplace dark and less visible, any light color might work.

Here's an article I found interesting: Top Ten Natural Insect Repellents I like the idea of fake wasp nests, although I don't know how well it works.

I'm OK, more or less. Not doing much -- just gardening, taking pictures, counting caterpillars and spoiling the cat.