Fall Feeding Frenzy

Painted Lady butterflies have been migrating through my area, and they are hungry! They love Joe Pye weed.

The Painted Lady rests.

Bees and butterflies share the same space.

Still popular are the Cosmos flowers.

The native asters attract bees as well.

The garlic chives have attracted the butterflies and just about every kind of bee, including honey bees. I wonder how that honey will taste.

Below is my new favorite photo. I didn't notice the frog until after I took the photo. Seredipity!

All photos copyright Linda Larson 2017

Bees, and wasps, and a frog friend

My year of the bees continues. They seem to like Cosmos, Joe Pye weed, and oregano.

When I was working on the mulch between the beds, I noticed some agitated wasps. Turns out, they have nest tucked under one of the boards. You may be able to see one wasp make its way into the nest opening, in the middle of the board at ground level. What to do? I certainly didn't want to get stung, but yet I'm committed to pollinators this year. So I've left them alone. I work around them, and they leave me alone, too. In fact, I've noticed fewer cabbage caterpillars this year. Once we get a hard freeze, they'll be gone. I can wait. 

And here's a tree frog on my compost bin. I've been busy so I haven't had a chance to stir the compost like I should, so he has a feast of flying food.