AT HOME WITH KAYLA PRICE 9/2: In the Garden
Garden Perspective: Insects, Worms and Other Little Creatures
If you are a regular reader, then you know that I am fairly new to gardening. Though I have tried to grow things for years, it wasn’t until I tried my hand at growing herbs that I had any success.It has probably been about seven or eight years now since that small success. I have tried other vegetables and had some highs and lows. Last year, I actually grew a few tomatoes. This year, though I have eight plants (which I grew from seed…yeah me!), I have yet to have a single tomato!Today, while trying to find a way to get rid of aphids that were killing my zucchini dreams, I saw the most interesting bug in the swimming pool. It looked just like a leaf with legs.After a small photo shoot, I got my husband to look. He quickly told me it was a katydid. Now, I thought I knew about katydids as that used to be the national mascot for my sorority when I was in college. I really didn’t believe him.
A little internet research later, I found that what I knew from college was a katydid, and this leaf insect was also a katydid known as a broad winged katydid. My husband also told me they were meat eaters. The internet agreed! This fact seemed kind of icky, and I hustled our West Highland Terrier, Archie, into the house to avoid him being a katydid feast.A couple of months ago I was walking around the yard with Archie in tow and saw an unusual worm. Its head looked like that of a hammerhead shark. I searched for “hammerhead worm” on the internet and found that to be its name. And that it is toxic and eats earthworms and other good insects in the garden. As a native to Southeast Asia, how did this unusual earthworm find its way to my yard?Last week, I saw a flat, woody looking insect that was long and narrow. I have yet to find it. It wasn’t a walking stick but was long like one. It looked like a 3” piece of flat bark with legs. It is strange that I can’t identify it. Maybe it was several little ants carrying a piece of bark?
I just think it is so interesting that there are still new insects making their way to my yard. I don’t recall seeing black dragonflies, black wasps (not sure exactly what they are, but they do not sting), cow killer ants, or brown recluse when I was young. Now they are everywhere around my yard (and sometimes my house)!Maybe these creatures were always around, but I just never noticed. It seems with time I have learned to appreciate everything in nature for what it offers. I guess I have become an insect watcher! Do you enjoy finding new little creatures in your yard?
Read more: https://kaylaprice.com/
Watch more: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqmOAZ8g5R2zP_WlMw6b6Fw
Contributed by Kayla Price
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