I didn't realize, but I haven't seen any kind of grasshopper or cricket around here in years! I use poultry dust on the birds, but I try hard to keep it away from anything that it could hurt (away from flowering plants, etc.) I haven't seen many bees or butterflies. I have a friend who raises monarchs and it's been pitiful that past 10 years. One year between the 2 of us we raised and released 200+ butterflies, there was one year where she didn't get a single one. I've stopped doing it since my parents moved and that was my only source for milkweed and eggs. She has some in her garden so she still does it.
I think the cold weather has brought them back later than normal. My friend said they're heading back this way now. Hopefully the warm weather we're getting now will help them get here soon.The butterfly situation this year is sad! Iv'e seen very few, normally there are tons doing the butt to butt on the lantanas but it is a ghost town out there.
Oh wow. Can you pollinate them yourself w/ a brush? I did that once w/ pumpkins.. the funny thing was that when I looked most of the flowers were male! Stupid plants.They sprayed BT 2x for gypsy moths here ... no butterflies, no moths, 1 bumblebee
15 tomato plants and 1 green tomato so far
no cabbage moths is the only good thing.
That's horrible. One of the dance moms has 3 bee hives. It's pretty cool.. way more skill than I have. My boss' son tried, but his hive disappeared.Those are wicked cool!
OH NO!!!!
You may have to hand pollinate.
WTH with all the bee colony issues! Whyyyyy would they spray such an awful chemical.
I think my neighbors bees died again.
I have not seen ANY in at least a week.
I better check my tomato plants.
The peas are getting pollinated but likely just from the bumbles. Those big guys pry open the flowers to get in there. Pretty fascinating really.
https://guides.nynhp.org/american-bumble-bee/
I am 99% sure this was the type I saw.
There's a place where you can get seeds. They have people collect them and send them in. You can buy them, or request free seeds.@21hens-incharge if you get milkweed put it in a pot at least at first the rhizome system is teeny tiny but freakishly long a potted start helps loads with finding new plants.
The seeds are my white whale, iv'e never been able to get the pods.
They've broken off and last year the monarch pillars ate them.
https://www.saveourmonarchs.org/store/p17/Milkweed_Seed_Packs.html
My guess is someone didn't like that their neighbor had so many chickens so they decided to do something about it. the horse thing is probably the same. Laws are usually created to inhibit someone's freedoms.Yeah, guess posting it here could be considered mentioning it
But, you guys here won't tell!I compared the county here with Prescott, unless you have 5 acres the county rule is 8 chickens/acre after the first acre, where you can have 8 on any size lot. But, you can have 2 horses per acre.
That's terrifying.What a pretty bee! Down here we have a new kind of bee the asian shaggy digger..yeah it is really called that lol! They'll scare the poop out of you, they dig obviously but they do it together.
Imagine 100 plus all living in a hole but only one bee per hole. They're hyper so a lot of in and out, for the longest I thought they were yellow jackets due to the ground being alive with these goofy looking bees.
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@Redhead Rae and squatchers 
