Home invasion

[flemmings]

For a week or two now some clueless darning-needle type insect has been flying witlessly into my study and out again. Witless house flies who disappear into the house I'm used to; witless wasps eventually learn how to get themselves free from curtains and back outside; but witless whatever-they-ares who keep bumbling in defeat me. Yesterday I came home to a metallic screechy buzz. I figured Witless had got itself caught in one of my tabless Pepsi cans in the recycle bag. But the noise was coming from the shelf behind, from the small wooden shadow box where I keep bibelots like my facsimile Lewis chessman queen and her OMG expression. Specifically from the box with the stone paperweight cat. Close inspection showed that paperweight cat had pooped in its corner: several small slabs of dry grey mud were affixed to the walls and floor.

I must assume the insects have been constructing a nest in my shadow box

ETA: googling suggests I'm dealing with the aptly-named mud dauber, an insect that has crashed at least two aircraft with loss of life to all on board.

Comments

[petronia.livejournal.com]

Argh home invasion!

I started a potted herb garden with two mints: one Chinese mint, one spearmint. The Chinese mint I brought inside because it was a bit wilty the day I bought and repotted it. The spearmint I left outside for a few days, until it became clear the torrid afternoon sun on my balcony was not doing it favours. In that time it managed to catch a CATERPILLAR, though this was not at all clear to me at first: it kept dropping little granules of soil and growing scraggly, until I realized the granules weren't soil, it was something pooping all over the plant and my counters. And then it became clear leaves were being gnawed down to a stub overnight. And even then, after googling the problem, I couldn't see the damned thing. XD; I didn't find it until it wrapped itself in a leaf and pupated. Cut the stem off and all the gnawed leaves, gave the plant an overall good trim, left the trimmings in a hedge as could not find it in me to outright squash a pupated caterpillar. It will make a minty-fresh treat for a bird one day, no doubt. Mint plant itself is well on the way to recovery.

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

Ninja caterpillars!

I think they're what's feeding on the squash plant leaves on the back deck, but that area is such a bloody pulpy mess from the cherries dropping I can't see anything.

OTOH garden wisdom is that nothing kills mint (or lemon balm either) so I'm glad to know the potted version at least has natural predators. May the birds enjoy chewing their Spearmint Caterpillar and may your pot-plant live long and prosper.