Encouraging Find

   Way back in February, I was surprised to find a beautiful, green lacewing on my front steps.  The small bug had just recently changed from its larvae state to an adult and was a bit sluggish yet.  Of course, I HAD to sit next to the insect to protect it from the (at the time) kitten, Bat.  Bat was at that curious age where everything that moved was a target of interest.  So, I "babysat" the bug until it was strong enough to venture out into the world.  Finding the insect made me happy as they are delightful things to have in the garden.  While in the larvae state, they have voracious appetites for a lot of garden pests.  Most people would rather dump a bunch of chemicals on the plants and call it a day but I am a bit more careful about my gardens.  No chemical sprays are used.  Those kill both the good and the bad.  Personally, I would rather let the lacewings do the job for me.

  I had high hopes that the lacewing would return to the steps to lay her eggs thus starting a new generation of helpers.  Imagine my delight when I found the telltale spiral of tiny, pale green eggs on the underside of the turmeric leaf!  This turmeric plant is in a large pot sitting on the bottom step near where the original lacewing was found.  In a few days, these eggs should hatch and the larva will start their hunt for prey.  This gives me hope that there may be less garden pests in the future.  Carry on, Little Lacewings!