Just Leave Them!

  I am not one to go around needlessly killing critters...any critter.  There are very few critters on my "exterminating" list.  Things like termites, mosquitoes and gnats top that list along with roaches.  The life span of any of those is very short if I have anything to say about it.  Still, there are those folks that get "bug spray" happy and use enough of the stuff to thoroughly poison their entire home and yard.  Not me.  If a critter stays outside, then it can live.  Enough said.  Most of the time, the same folks that are busy with their sprayers are the ones that will remark about how beautiful a butterfly is or lament the decline of the honeybees.  They love the beautiful "swan" of a butterfly but hate the "ugly duckling" also known as a leaf-eating caterpillar.  Well, you can't have one without the other.  It does not happen.  I like butterflies as they do a great job of pollinating things along with acting as yard ornaments.  The caterpillars make an unsightly mess of plants but are only doing what they are meant to do so caterpillars in my yard are not doused with insecticides.  

  Today, the citrus trees were deemed an "unsightly mess" since the orange dog caterpillars are out and about.  They are happily munching the leaves of every citrus tree on the hillside!  If this keeps going, I will soon have "bald" trees!  Orange dogs are those funky caterpillars that look like and smell like bird poop.  This is their camouflage and only bit of protection other than a weird projectile that resembles a snake's tongue.  This odd thing is their osmeterium gland and is what causes the stench that scares away most predators.  (It scares me!)  As ugly as the caterpillars are, they do turn into some rather lovely butterflies.  The orange dogs are the caterpillar stage of the giant swallowtail butterflies! 

 I read where one "environmental group" recommends that it is best to "hand pick the caterpillars and place them in a baggy to be discarded in the trash."  Whoa!! Some environmental group that is!  To my way of thinking that is rather cruel!  Think about the slow death the caterpillars have to endure!  If you really must get rid of them, hand pick and smash them.  Or even better...leave them! Don't kill those ugly ducklings if you want beautiful swans.  The butterflies that grace your flower gardens have to start somewhere!

Twins!

  About noontime, Mark and I headed over to our daughter and son-in-law's place for a Father's Day cookout.  Robbie was grilling hamburgers which was the perfect meal to have for his father-in-law.  You just cannot go wrong with a burger for a guy!  After we ate, Elizabeth and I took our usual stroll about the place.  We checked her gardens, the spot she chose for a shoofly and the trimming job that Robbie did on the oak tree.  All looked well kempt.  

  She then showed me her satsuma and grapefruit trees. "Caterpillars ate my satsuma tree." she bemoaned but then looking at the bright side "But look!  I have twins!  Sure enough on the trunk of the little tree, two fat chrysalides were suspended by thin silk.  Elizabeth informed me that there were more caterpillars on the little trees but she smashed them not realizing just what they were.  When I told her that these caterpillars will change into Great Swallowtails, she was all for leaving them.  So the bush got pruned until it was nigh on devoid of leaves.  The "Orange Dogs" were fat and happy!  Twins!  

  The Giant Swallowtail butterfly lays her eggs on citrus trees if available, hence the name Orange Dog caterpillar.  These caterpillars bear a striking resemblance to fresh bird poop.  This is not their only defense, however.  If threatened, bright red "horns" called osmeterium emerge from their head and emit an odor that is quite convincing of the bird poop camouflage.  Not too many critters want to go around eating stinky bird poop so the caterpillars munch away unmolested.

  While the menfolk decided to do a bit of mechanical work on the lawnmower, Elizabeth and I had a grand time exploring her place a bit more.  All in all, it was a delightful way to spend the afternoon!

One of the Few

  I guess I am just one of the few.  To many  folks, the battle with bugs is most irritating.  Not just bugs that are detrimental to one's well-being but bugs in general are looked upon as threats.  I admit that I have been in a constant struggle with termites, fleas and Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers but, overall, I can tolerate most anything.  This tolerance makes me one of the few. I have no problem sharing a bit of my garden with caterpillars especially!  Those make me happy as I know that, given time, that caterpillar will turn to a beautiful moth or butterfly.  Their presence in the garden makes losing a bit of leaf worthwhile.  Plus, the effort spent handpicking the mushy critters is just not worth it.  I would rather share my garden.  In fact, I have gone so far as to move plants AND caterpillars into a protected area before unexpected early freezes.  It just makes me happy to know that perhaps I have done my part in helping the world see a bit of beauty. This beauty would be totally eradicated if left to some chemical-spray-happy folks.  "Eeek!  A bug! Quick grab the all-killing-insecticide and douse the plant!"  Yep, that sounds like some folks I know.  Nope, that does not sound one bit like me.  These same folks are the ones that will bemoan the fact that they never see butterflies or fireflies about their property.  Hmmmm. Imagine that!  Caterpillars are safe on the Bayou as are fireflies and any other friendly critters.  (Beware termites, fleas and Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers.  You are not on my "friendly list"!)

  One such caterpillar is the Orange Dog.  This is the "baby" that will become a lovely Giant Swallowtail butterfly.  The caterpillar is rather weird looking as it bears a strong resemblance (and smell) to bird poop! The ugly bug does evolve into the most lovely of butterflies, though! This past year, I noticed a good many of the leaves on the citrus trees were curling and were being eaten by some unseen critter.  It took a while before my eyes were able to focus on the culprit.  The Orange Dog caterpillar finally moved and brought a bit of attention to itself. Aha!  There you are, my friend!  I watched a bit and then went on my way.  This morning, I was weeding under the Satsuma tree when I had a delightful surprise.  Right there in front of my face, a Giant Swallowtail was emerging from its chrysalis!  Oh, my goodness!  I was spellbound for a good hour!  No more weeding for me! A butterfly was far more important to me.  Butterflies SHOULD be far more important to everyone.  I should not be one of the few who care enough about things like this. We all should do our part to use insecticides wisely and safely (if at all!).

 

 

The Giant Butterfly of Happiness!

I could not help but take a ton of pictures today of a single butterfly that was visiting the zinnia garden.  It seemed that this butterfly was happy with itself and all that was in its path.  It flitted from bloom to bloom without a care in the world and caused me to ponder things a good bit.  Why can't we be more like that butterfly?  Why are we so stressed about our lives instead of just seeing the beauty that lies before us?  It just does not make sense to me.  The so-called "rat race" to get ahead financially sort of kills any chance of really sitting back and enjoying life. Is that "financial security" what brings happiness?  Henry David Thoreau once wrote.."Happiness is like a butterfly; the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder."  Now that makes sense to me.

The butterfly that visited the zinnias was a Giant Swallowtail.  It is one that lays its eggs chiefly on my citrus trees.  The caterpillars resemble bird poop and are called Orange Dogs.  As much as I do not relish critters munching on my plants, I usually leave these be simply because I do so love the "Flying Flowers" in my gardens.  This Giant Swallowtail enjoying the zinnia garden gives me a good reason to plant more zinnias in the future!  I am quite sure we have enough citrus trees to house many Orange Dogs!

I watched the butterfly for a good while before "turning my attention to other things".  No, the butterfly did not come sit on my shoulder but neither did it leave the zinnia garden.  All day, the butterfly stayed.  Its staying brought me a lot of happiness which  I figure was the best thing ever!