Archive | August 2024

MORE ON JORO SPIDERS

Aug29

      Joro spiders continue to spread across Georgia.  Wherever they establish themselves, hosts of homeowners find themselves on the front line of battle against this foreign invader.  Recently, two of our fellow bloggers shared their experiences with these large predators.  Below you will find what they have to say.

Susan says:

I just freed a baby boy hummingbird from a Joro spider web.  I did not take a picture, he was screaming and fighting to get loose, poor baby, it took a while to pick off all the webbing and smooth out his feathers-after being a little frantic in my hand he settled down and let me turn him every which way to free him.  Luckily, when I was done, he flew away.  I sweep the webs down daily that are around the house and in the flower beds but I missed this one.  I live in Toccoa, Ga.  I hate Joro spiders and kill as many as I can.  They are not supposed to live here and are harmful to our natives.

Penny says:

Perhaps I can provide some information about how Joro spiders adversely affect hummers: the first point is these huge spiders weave very large webs, and their “silk” is much stronger than the average spider.  If you ever ran into one, you would know because you can literally hear snapping as they break.

Joros are very observant and intelligent creatures, and they weave their webs where their food of interest frequents.  There have been numerous reports of hummers flying into Joro webs that are merely inches from nectar feeders.  Hummers also encounter webs in large flowering bushes such as lantanas.  Joro web silk is incredibly strong, and hummers fly right into the webs and cannot free themselves.

It pays to visit your feeders and bushes and remove the webs periodically.  I hope this helps!

 

KEEPING UNWANTED CRITTERS FROM HUMMER FEEDERS

Aug25

        One of the things I like about writing a blog is that bloggers share techniques that they have found benefit their wildlife neighbors and/or to enhance our ability to provide a place for them to find food, water and shelter in our backyards.

       Here is a tip a blogger recently shared with us.

       Carol wrote, “Hang your hummingbird feeders securely on hooks installed under the eaves of your house.  Very few predators can access it.  I hang them outside our dining room windows on the shade side of the house to protect the sugar water from fermenting.  I put 2 or 3 pieces of blue tape on the outside window glass so the little birds know that they can’t fly through it.”

       Thanks, Carol, for sharing your hummingbird feeding tip!”

CARDINALS EATING SHELLED CORN

Aug21

      For quite some time, my wife and I have been feeding American Crows. During that time, we have experimented with feeding them a variety of foods. The most recent food offering that we have experimented with is shelled corn.

       I have wanted to try corn for quite some time; however, I have shied away from doing so until recently.  The reason for this is locally I could only buy shelled corn in 40 pounds bags.  However, with the deer season looming on the horizon, feed and many big box stores have been stocking what they call deer corn in smaller 30-pound bags. Realizing that I would not be able to purchase a smaller amount of corn than that, I purchase a sack of deer corn and scattered a small amount of the yellow kernels on the ground in the area where we feed the crows.  Much to my delight, the crows quickly accepted the inexpensive food offering.

       However, what was unexpected is that northern cardinals have been dining on the corn too.  As I am writing this column, four cardinals are eating them.

       Joining them is a gray squirrel. One of the bonuses of squirrels eating the shelled corn is they do not seem to be eating as much of the more expensive black oil sunflower seeds in a nearby feeder.

       I realize that corn would not be the ideal food to offer in my yard if I had problem with deer—deer love corn.  If they discover it, I will have to terminate my experiment.  In the meantime, we are enjoying watching both the crows and other backyard residents dine on this inexpensive food.

 

      

IT IS GLOSSY ABELIA TIME

Aug18

       If you are searching for a shrub that produces an abundance of blooms and nectar for hummingbirds, butterflies, bees and other pollinators, glossy abelia just might be the plant for you.

       From summer well into fall, a time when many flowering plants have already quit blooming or are slowly fading away, glossy abelia is in full bloom.

       This shrub is a hybrid that was once commonly  grown around homes during the first half of the 20th century. However, for reasons I do not understand, it fell out of favor. Consequently, it rarely graces new homes.

       However, there are a number of reasons for folks to find a place for it in their home landscapes. Glossy abelia is a medium sized shrub.  It is both deer and drought tolerant, produces beautiful flowers that provide food for honeybees, native bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators.  However, it does not produce seeds.

       The shrub requires little maintenance.  About all you need to do to ensure it produces lots of flowers from year to year is the prune it in the winter or early spring. This is due to the fact  its blossoms form on new wood.

       Since the glossy abelias are in full bloom, this is a good time to check them out  at your local nursery.  If you are not familiar with the plant, I am sure you are going to fall in love with its small pinkish white, bell shaped blossoms and the fact this hard shrub requires little care.

HOW MUCH FOOD DOES A GRAY SQUIRREL EAT AT A BIRD FEEDER?

Aug15

       It seems that most people that feed birds fuss about how much food gray squirrels eat at their feeders. However, few of us have any idea how much food a squirrel actually consumes.  Some will say anything a squirrel can gobble up is too much. Others say they do not mind it if squirrels eat some food, however, they are of the opinion bushytails eat too much. 

       How much is too much?  I will let you decide for yourself.  Studies have shown that a gray squirrel will eat approximately 1.5 pounds of seeds and nuts per week.

BACYARD SECRET – BUYING CULTIVARS IS SOMETIMES RISKY

Aug11

      When you are shopping for native plants, sometimes you must decide whether to buy a plant that is not a hybrid or a cultivar.  Which should you choose?

       Although many cultivars often produce larger and more blossoms than those that are not hybrids, sometimes their ability to produce pollen and/or nectar is either lost or lessened during the breeding process.  Consequently, if you were planting a native plant for its beauty and ability to supply food for pollinators, you would be better off not buying a cultivar.

       However, many cultivars do not lose their ability to produce nectar and pollen.  Consequently, if possible, ask a friend or county agent if they know anything about a cultivar you are thinking about buying.  You can also check the Internet.  Often it can provide you with a wealth of information about the attributes of cultivars.

       Transplanting the right plant in your garden can make a big difference to the pollinators that you hope it will benefit and your own satisfaction.

       If you know excellent cultivars, please share their names with the rest of us.

AN EASY WAY TO HELP OUR INSECT POLLINATORS

Aug8

        Most Georgians are aware that honeybee populations are plummeting throughout the country.  However, the fact that populations of native bees and other insect pollinators are also declining is less widely known.  Pollinators play a key role in the production of food throughout the world. The impact of pollinators is worth $635 million annually in Georgia alone.  On top of that, while introduced honeybees perform much of the pollination of many of our food crops, other insect pollinators also have a huge impact on the pollination of native plants and commercial crops alike.  In fact, it is estimated that one group of pollinators known as solitary bees perform a third of the pollination of food eaten by humans around the world.

       Realizing that an important step in launching an effort to conserve pollinators is to determine the status of insect pollinators in Georgia is to conduct a census of these valuable insects.  With this in mind, in 2018, the University of Georgia launched the Great Georgia Pollinator Census.  In 2023, the survey was renamed the Great Southeast Pollinator Census when South and North Carolina as well as Florida joined the survey effort.

       This year the dates of the Survey are August 23-24.

       This massive survey depends on the efforts of thousands of volunteers.  While the number of participants in the survey increases every year, there is a need for far more individuals to better survey each individual state.  With this in mind, the UGA is asking for our assistance.

       I have participated in the survey since its inception.  I have found it to be fun and simple.  All that is required is that you survey the pollinators visiting one particular plant for 15 minutes.  During this time, surveyors simply count the insects they see.  Participants separate each insect into one of eight categories:  bumblebees, carpenter bees, small bees, honeybees, wasps, butterflies/moths, flies, and other insects.  The UGA provides a full color guide to help identify members of each group.  Once a survey is completed, the data is uploaded using the survey’s online portal.

       For more information on this great way to contribute to the conservation of our wild insect pollinators, go to the Great Southeast Pollinator Census website (gsepc.org).

      

TRY SOMETHING NEW – MOTH PHOTOGRAPHY

Aug4

       Recently, my wife and I decided to try our luck at moth photography.  Experience has taught us that success at this endeavor is just a matter of being in the right spot at the right time, equipped with the right equipment.

       Over the years, we have been photographing Carolina Sphinx moths feeding at four-o‘clock blossoms at dusk.  We have several small patches of these perennial plants growing in our backyard.  We planted them close to the house because we enjoy their colorful, trumpet shaped flowers and the hummingbirds and moths they attract.

       On this particular night, I did not go outside until it was very late in the afternoon.  In fact, hummingbirds were still feeding at nearby hummer feeders as we stepped into our backyard.  This provided us with the opportunity to photograph a hummingbird feeding on the nectar found in four o’ clock blossoms before the moths arrived.  Unfortunately, on this particular late afternoon, the hummingbirds were content to feed on sugar water.

       My wife was equipped with a smart phone, and I carried my Nikon D-7500 35mm camera. 

       We had our cameras poised as we checked out patches of yellow and bright pink four-o’ clocks.  For several minutes, no moths appeared.  Then, suddenly a large sphinx moth flew in and began probing the flowers.  Since the moth was constantly moving, it seemed that every time we got ready to snap a photo is flew away.

       After vainly trying to snap photos of this month, four other moths flew in.  This greatly increased the odds that we would capture one in a photograph.  With that in mind, each of us just stood still near a stand of four o’ clocks and waited for the moths to come to us.

       As the afternoon faded into night, we kept taking as many pictures as we could before calling it a night.

       When we returned to the house, we evaluated our results. My wife was not happy with any of her photos.  While most of the shots I took were not very good, a few turned out great. One of these shots accompanies this blog.

       We both set our cameras on automatic. After the session was over, I found that the camera took my photos at F/4.5, 1/60th of a second, and an ISO of 2500.

       We always enjoy our forays to try to photograph moths.  However, next time we are going to apply insect repellent before we venture outside.

       If you decide to try your hand at moth photography, don’t become discouraged it you do not immediately enjoy success.  You simply have to find what works best for you.  Once you discover this secret, you will find your efforts to photograph moths very rewarding.