Life in the Orange Trees

   A massive cleanup of the yard is in full swing.  There were so many back-to-back hurricanes and tropical storms crashing through the area that we never completed one cleanup before another had to begin.  Usually, those were put off as much needed repairs were done first.  Now, however, there has been just enough break for us to really make progress in areas that were neglected...neglected far too long.  This cleanup has brought some giggles...some tears...and a lot of achy muscles but...we are making progress.  

  While doing this cleanup, Son noticed that there were termites literally infesting the live citrus trees.  I was wondering why so many looked rather puny this year but never expected it to be termites.  He started treating the ground around the trees and I started lopping off any limbs that looked compromised. It is just about to the point that we should fully take out the whole grove but we will try to salvage any that we can.  It was on one of those "lopping frenzies" that I had to stop and enjoy one of those miracles of life situations.  A Great Swallowtail was just emerging from its cocoon!  This was interesting enough but then I found an Orange Dog Caterpillar on the same tree!  How neat to find two stages of the same type butterfly!  Too bad neither of these eat termites.

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!).

 

 

Orange Dogs

Orange Dogs! No.. my dog, Ezzy, is not being dressed up as a pumpkin for Halloween. I am not even one that dresses her up as anything as I am quite sure she would probably eat any costume that I put on her! As matter of fact, I am not even talking about Ezzy or any other dog. I am referring to a caterpillar. My citrus trees were under attack by some unknown assailant that was chewing off some of the leaves. It seemed to prefer the new, tender leaves so I figured that I would not have a difficult time finding the culprit. I looked and looked. I peered under and atop the leaves. Finally..there it was! Staring me in the face (as much as a caterpillar can stare) was an orange dog! I understand the reasoning behind the "orange" part of the name even though they are not orange. They are particularly fond of citrus leaves..lemons, limes and..get this..oranges! But to be honest, it beats me as to why they are called "dogs". They do not resemble a dog at all. Rather, they bear a strong resemblance to bird poop! I mean a really strong resemblance! They even smell bad! The strange thing about the Orange Dogs is that they will eventually turn into a beautiful Giant Swallowtail butterfly! How does something so ugly make the change into such a beautiful creature as a butterfly is beyond me. You talk about your "Ugly Duckling" fairy tale!

After the caterpillar incident, it was time for some more Halloween fun! I put up some more garland of Fall leaves and then headed for the entryway. This room is far becoming my favorite "theme" room. The parlor look was coming along right well after hanging the creepy cloth curtains and arranging the shelf of "family portraits" but I still wanted to add some more "special effects". The old cast iron parlor stove looked bland sitting there vacant and unused. To build a real fire in it would be a tad stupid since there are no stove pipes to vent the smoke. Fake fire! I wanted a dark and gloomy "parlor" to greet guests on Halloween night and a grate full of smoldering embers would be perfect. To create this look, I first placed a crumpled piece of aluminum foil on top of the grating in the stove. Next, an unobtrusive wire basket from the kitchen shelf would hold my "embers". Two (twenty count) strings of white lights, a piece of orange glass and some clear glass marbles became my fire. This was topped with enough tiny (two inch) pine cones to cover most of the marbles. The wires from the lights were strung up through the back of the stove where the piping should go and plugged into an extension cord. Now the moment of truth.Would it appear to be hot coals? Yes!! It worked! The "blinkers" on the

lights added the look of "burning" coals. I now have a fiery wood stove that won't heat up this tiny room on Halloween night! No need to cook my guests! Little by little, my creepy parlor is coming to fruition! Maybe a few ghosts should be enjoying this cozy little nook..we shall see!!!